Heir to the Kingdom
by Peacewish
Summary: With the royal family overthrown and the traitor determined to make her his bride, the young princess Sakura flees into the countryside. Unexpectedly, she finds an ally in the gruff peasant named Li.
1. prologue

'**prologue'**

It happened at night. It was so fast… I don't know where they all came from. But they were there, and they were everywhere. I don't know how he fought them off as long as he did, with no warning or help or anything.

There was no time, no time to do anything. I ran through the door into her room; she was terrified like me. But we couldn't give in to panic, I could not let him die in vain. We had to survive; we had to escape.

I threw open the window. "Kero! Come on!"

"On it!"

His body grew, he changed forms and blew fire at the door, holding off our attackers. Then we leapt on his back and flew out over the courtyard of the palace. They were expecting that, of course, and they threw large nets out from the windows of the surrounding buildings. No arrows; nothing lethal. They wanted me alive.

Kero was forced down, but he refused to land on the ground. Instead he flew down the corridors, skimming the surface. I don't know how we avoided those nets, there were so many.

He could not fly fast or for very long, not with both of us on his backs. I had an idea and I tugged on his ear, shouting for him to turn right. He dove through a set of doors and we hurtled down a deep staircase, down, down to places I hadn't been since my childhood days of exploration. Behind me, she shrieked in terror and held on tight. Down into the depths of the older servant quarters, then further still into the empty and unused dungeons. I had never seen people here in my lifetime, nor my father in his, and the iron grid across the sewer exit was decrepit and rusty. There were ragged holes in it beneath the surface of the water.

"Come on!" I shouted again, and Kero returned to his small form. The three of us dove into the horrible, dank water. It was impossible to see, but I felt my way through the gaping holes and crawled through. Tomoyo did not have so easy a time; her sleeping gown caught on a sharp edge and she was trapped, until I found the snarl and freed her. Together we burst forth, gasping for breath, outside the palace walls. Behind us in the buildings we could hear screams of terror, shouts of authority, and the dread sound of gnashing blades. In my mind, I could feel the dark magic wreaking havoc on my home and my family, and I trembled there in the water.

They were dying, they were suffering, and I could do nothing. I had run, helpless and scared. But I had not know what else to do.

Tears pricked at my eyes, but that time had not yet come. Shouts of the enemy could be heard nearby, and once again I had to concentrate on survival.

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	2. ch1 the meeting

Chapter 1 

'**the meeting'**

The green valley was quiet and still in the late afternoon. A rabbit hopped across the grass to a particularly succulent-looking patch of clover and began to nibble. Then he paused and raised his ears.

Li held his breath.

After a moment's deliberation, the rabbit decided there was no danger and concentrated on his food again. The young man slowly, very slowly, raised his crossbow and took aim. Almost there…

There was a faraway shout, and a tremor beneath his feet of hooves. Startled, the rabbit took flight and disappeared with a flash of his white tail. Li groaned and stood. His muscles were aching after crouching so still for a long time, and he carefully shook the sleep out of his legs.

Too damn noisy. Things have just been too damn noisy here lately; it's impossible to get any decent hunting done.

He was about to shoulder his bow when he frowned. Was it his imagination, or was there someone there? Crouching, trying to blend in with the silhouette of the tree but miserably failing at it. Yes, there was definitely someone there. Someone who had something to hide, and Li didn't like that at all. Those sorts of people usually meant trouble.

Cautiously he backed out of the visual range of his mysterious visitor, putting the tree between them. Then softly, very softly, he began to creep closer. He'd grown up in this valley, knew every twig, every rock beneath his feet. He was around the tree and holding his knife against her neck before she even knew what was happening.

"Oh gods," she squealed. "Please don't hurt me!"

"Are you the reason I lost my dinner?"

"I didn't mean to make any noise, I'm sorry if I scared you - "

"Trust me, I'm not scared," Li assured her. He pressed the edge of his blade up underneath her chin and she gave a choking gasp. Li frowned a little. Who was this? She obviously wasn't from around here; he would have remembered a face like that. And yet she did seem a little familiar. Those frightened green eyes spoke to him. Where had he seen those green eyes before?

"Who are you, and why are you on my land?"

"I didn't mean to be; I'm sorry. I promise I'm not a thief." Cautiously she swallowed. "Please just let me go on my way. I'm a little rushed - "

The hoofbeats suddenly became louder underneath their feet, and Li swore colorfully. Whoever they were, they'd come over the ridge and were making their way down the path, right towards them. They'd be scaring the game away for miles. But if he was annoyed, she looked terrified.

"Oh no," she whispered. "Please, you've got to let me go. You've got to let me hide."

"I don't 'got to' anything."

"Please. I'm begging you." She looked absolutely desperate, and Li felt a touch of pity. He didn't owe this girl anything, but whoever it was that she was so frightened of was almost there. Not quite sure why, he sheathed his knife and bent over.

"Step into my hands."

"What?"

"Come on, already. You want to hide or don't you?" Timidly she stepped into the cradle of his interlocked fingers, and he hoisted her upwards into the tree. She squealed in surprise, but grabbed the nearest branch and swung upwards.

She was graceful and quick, Li noted appreciatively, and she pulled herself up through the branches, disappearing into the early spring foliage. She was not a moment too soon. Five horses tore into the small clearing, carrying soldiers on their backs. There had been a lot more of these soldiers around lately, he'd been seeing those uniforms rather more than he would have liked. Men wearing those uniforms tended to look at him with arrogant, sneering expressions on their faces, much like these five were doing now. He glared back and waited for one of them to speak.

"Boy," one of them barked. "Have you seen a girl pass through this valley today? Short brown hair, green eyes?"

"No."

"No _sir_," one of the other soldiers corrected him. Li remained silent.

"You'd better pray you're speaking the truth," the first one threatened. "By the order of our lord and leader, for the security of our kingdom, the princess must be found and returned to her home."

Li raised his eyebrows slightly. _Princess?_

"I'll ask again." The soldier drew his sword and prodded his steed a little closer to Li. "If you value your life, peasant, you'll tell all. Have you seen this woman?"

"I told you that I hadn't," Li said coldly. "If you ask again, I'll say the same thing."

He was looking directly into the man's eyes, his chin high and his back straight.

"Well, well. Prideful, aren't we?" Lazily the man waved his sword in front of Li's face. "You should think twice about such brazenness with soldiers of the kingdom. Perhaps I should teach you a lesson."

"Come on then, Mero," one of his compatriots spoke up impatiently. "We can't waste our time on this simpleton. She's getting away as we speak."

Li's eyes had never left the man's face, not even to focus on the swordtip hovering before his eyes. Reluctantly, the leader nodded and sheathed his sword.

"Some other time, perhaps." He jerked his head back toward the path that they'd come down. "She didn't come down this way after all. Let's go." They all turned their mounts and retreated out of the clearing. Their leader paused to smirk at Li.

"Be careful, peasant," he said teasingly. "Be fearful. There are new rules in the kingdom now." He spat at Li, who didn't flinch, then reared and turned to follow his men. Only after the hoofbeats had completely died away did he speak.

"You can come down now."

She swung down to the lowest branch and dropped onto the ground, landing none too steadily on her feet.

"Thanks, I - " Her words were cut off as he gripped her neck in one hand, and she squeaked.

"You want to tell me why I risked my life just now?"

"Um, thanks," she offered hopefully.

"You're very welcome," he muttered sarcastically. "Your highness." He resisted the impulse to squeeze and released her. She backed away timidly.

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I didn't mean to put you in danger. We'll be on our way now."

We?

"Tomoyo?" she asked. "Kero? You can come out now." A second girl about the same age as the first rolled out from underneath the cover of some dense bushes.

"Sakura! Thank goodness, I was so scared that time!" She crawled to her feet and embraced the first girl in a fierce hug. "I thought they had us."

"Me too. Kero, that settles it. No more transforming into your other form. I don't know how or who, but Nikolai has a mage working for him. Someone that can pinpoint magical energy."

"That's how they're tracking us all right," someone agreed. Li's eyes opened wide with surprise when a tiny golden bear poked his head out of a satchel, slung over the second girl's shoulder. "This makes things difficult."

"Like they weren't already?"

"Good point."

Sakura reached to brush some of her hair back from her face. "We'll just have to deal with it. Meanwhile, we can't stay here any longer. Maybe we should try to retrace our steps to that ridge. They won't be expecting us to be right behind them. Will they?"

"I don't think so. Come on." They both turned away to go, but Sakura stumbled and almost collapsed when a new onset of dizziness hit her. Tomoyo caught her just in time.

"Sakura? Sakura!"

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Tomoyo turned to look over her shoulder. The stranger that had threatened Sakura with a knife had turned away and was walking to where he'd left his bow on the ground. "Hey! Wait, you have to help us!"

"That's the second time that someone's told me I have to do something in the last ten minutes. I think I'd done my duty for the day." Li kicked his bow up from the ground and caught it neatly in one hand, then rested it on his shoulder. "Good luck avoiding those soldiers. Anybody coming up over that ridge will be visible for miles, just so you know."

"Wait, please. She hasn't eaten in three days, neither of us have."

"Yeah?"

"She can't go on like this. If you could spare anything…" Tomoyo wilted under his glare, but Sakura needed to eat. "Please. We don't have any money, or I would offer you some, but - "

"I wouldn't take it anyway." Li turned his back and started down the side of the valley. As if money really mattered in a place like this.

"Hey!" That little creature popped up in front of his face, and Li took a startled step backward. That thing could fly?

"Listen up, kid. This is your leader we're talking about. Princess of your country. Are you just going to let her starve to death, or what?"

"I don't have any leader except for myself," Li snapped. "She's not my princess." He tried to step around, but the flying bear would have none of that.

"You don't know what she's been through in the past couple of weeks."

"Nor do I care."

"Kero, no." Sakura had to force herself to stand up right and focus on her guardian. "We don't need his help, I'll be fine. Leave him alone."

"But, Sakura - " both of her friends protested.

"We'll be fine. Come on, we should try to find a place to hide until nightfall. Then we can slip out of this valley unnoticed, I think."

Tomoyo narrowed her eyes at the woodsman. "You said this was your land. I bet you know all the good places to hide."

"Of course I do. Doesn't mean I'm going to help you."

Kero crossed his arms and twitched his tail thoughtfully. "Listen kid, you've got every reason to. If those soldiers find her here, they'll assume you knew she was here. They'll come back here and kill you."

He'd thought that would at least strike a little fear in the boy's eyes, but he just uttered a scornful laugh.

"I'd like to see them try. Now get out of my way."

"Kero! I said to leave him alone!" Sakura glared at him and turned on her heels. "Now come on. We have to - " The sudden movement had been too much, and a curtain of black fell on the world.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo shrieked as her friend buckled and crashed to the ground. "Oh, Sakura, wake up!" Anxiously she patted her face. "Sakura, please."

"She needs water," Li said shortly. Without her realizing it, he'd crossed the clearing to stand by them. "Here. Take this." He shoved his bow into her hands, then knelt and scooped up the young woman in his arms. She was far too light; Li suspected that it had been more than three days since she'd eaten.

"I can't have the two of you fainting all over the place in broad daylight. That's more trouble than I need. Come on." He began again in the direction he'd been walking, descending the rather steep grade of the valley with ease. Tomoyo had trouble keeping up, weak as she was, but relief gave her a little strength. Maybe they would be all right after all. Already this man had done more for them than anyone else had in the past two weeks.

Has it only been two weeks? It feels like a year. What a nightmare it's been.

They couldn't have walked more than twenty minutes, but Tomoyo was near collapsing herself by the time they finally reached level ground. Kero was weak too, and had given up flying to ride on her shoulder. They were both relieved when the tiny cabin hove into view. It was a rough but sturdy-looking dwelling, and embers glowed in a banked fire out front. The picture was cozy and serene, and Tomoyo sighed as she dropped to her knees on the grass. Perhaps here they would be safe.

Li set the girl gently down on the ground, then crossed to his cabin to find his waterbag.

"Here." He tossed it to the dark-haired girl. "Get some of this between her lips. Elevate her feet, too."

"Thank you, um…."

"Li."

"Thank you, Li."

He didn't reply as he disappeared inside his cabin.

"Freak," commented Kero.

"Shh. We're lucky he's helping us even this much. Shove that bundle over there under her feet." Tomoyo tipped the waterbag gently in between Sakura's lips as she held her head in her lap.

Please, Sakura, be all right. You can't give up now, not after all we've been through, please…

Those emerald eyes fluttered open, and Tomoyo smiled. "Sakura? Can you speak?"

"I think so," she whispered. "What happened?"

"You fainted. Li brought you back here to his place."

"Li?"

"The charming stranger who held a knife to your throat."

"Oh, him." She smiled a little and raised her head to look around.

"No, don't do that. You shouldn't strain yourself."

"I'm all right, Tomoyo. You shouldn't fuss so. Let me sit up." Reluctantly she helped her sit upright, and Sakura took in their surroundings.

"Nice place."

"Quiet and safe," Tomoyo pointed out. "I think we'll be all right here for a little while."

"He doesn't want us here for a little while," Sakura countered. "And I don't want to stay where I'm not wanted. We should go."

Yet the thought of getting up just made her dizzy again. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to sit here for a little while… try and get her strength back. The past few days had been so hard.

She looked up again at the sound of his voice.

"Here. Make yourself useful." Li knelt and slapped a stained wooden tile on the ground in front of Tomoyo, piled with carrots and wild mushrooms. "Chop." He handed her a knife and she took it uncertainly, as if she didn't know quite what to do with it.

"Um, okay…" Clumsily she hacked at a carrot.

"Smaller pieces than that. It will never cook that way."

"Oh. Sorry."

He was on his hands and knees now, blowing on his carefully preserved cooking fire.

"Don't be sorry. Just do it." Tomoyo flushed and tried to cut up the roots into smaller portions. The embers brightened momentarily, and Li added some wood shavings. As the kindling ignited, he placed some greener wood in the center. The fire needed to burn slowly but steadily if the food was to be well-cooked. He glanced across the fire at the girl with the short hair. She was resting her forehead on her knee and her hands were shaking slightly. Those wrists were too thin. It couldn't be helped, he would have to break into his dried meat cache. She needed the calories.

With practiced ease he set up the tripod frame, and hung his iron pot over the flames.

The girl – Sakura, was it? – didn't look like much of a princess to him. Her short hair was pulled back into a scruffy ponytail, with strands continually breaking away and hanging in her face. Both girls were in grubby tunics that were far too large for them, belted in at the waist over patched and worn breeches. Soft kid leather boots were on their feet, the sort that most poor country travelers wore. Already the soles were scuffed and worn. They'd either been doing a lot of walking, or they'd been forced to get boots already worn through. Either way, it didn't say much for their standing in life.

All those thoughts ran through his head as he returned to his cabin to unwrap his stash of venison jerky.

I can't believe I'm donating this. But I don't really have a choice. Mother would be furious if I didn't.

He smiled a little at that, but lost it when he stepped out from the doorway. She was looking up, looking at him with those green eyes. He scowled and looked away.

"Do you eat?" he addressed the little winged bear.

"Gotta live somehow, don't I?"

"Right." He broke up the strips of dried meat and threw them in the boiling water. "Done with those carrots yet?"

"I think so…"

"Then throw 'em in."

Sakura was shaking her head slightly. "No. No, you don't have to feed us. We don't need your help."

"Unfortunately, at least as far as food goes, you do. It's been more than three days, hasn't it?" She swallowed and looked away from his shrewd gaze.

"Maybe."

"Sakura!" Tomoyo looked horrified. "What about that bread that the shop-owner gave us?"

"I – I'm sorry, Tomoyo." She put her hand over her friend's. "I just couldn't. I couldn't eat. I kept thinking about them…" Something caught in her throat, and she gave a choking sob.

"Oh no, Sakura, shh." Hastily Tomoyo put her arm around Sakura and squeezed. "You can't. You've got to concentrate on survival. They wouldn't want you to starve. They would want you to live and be healthy. You know that."

Sakura was struggling to contain herself. "I know."

"You'll be fine. We're going to be fine. You'll see." They hugged, and Sakura managed to gain control of herself. She would not fall apart here, she would not break down in front of this stranger. He was watching her curiously, but he didn't ask any questions. They usually asked questions.

"You're very kind," she finally said to fill the silence.

"No I'm not."

"You were so brave with the soldiers back there. I've never seen a peasant stand up to them like that."

"I don't scare easy."

"Have they been bothering you very much, lately?"

"Not until today." She winced and looked down. "Seems like there have been more around though, these past few weeks. I try to ignore them. They make trouble in the village." Both girls nodded.

"He's taken all of their restraints to power. They're a dangerous force now. Heaven knows what will happen to the people they decide to abuse. There is nothing to stop them."

"Who's 'he'?"

"General Gorrell, of course. Nikolai." He looked a little blank.

"The 'lord and leader' they were speaking of today." She frowned, Li seemed to have no idea what she was talking about. "You do know, don't you?"

"Know what?"

She exchanged astonished looks with Tomoyo.

"There was an overthrow of the government, a military coup in the palace. The commander-in-chief betrayed us; he used the army to seize power from my parents. He's declared himself king now. We barely escaped that night."

Ah, thought Li. That certainly explains the condition she's in. Restlessly he played with the knife in his hands, and wondered who the other girl was. Servant, he guessed, but a close friend too. As for the little bear thing, he had no idea.

"You actually didn't know that you had a new king?"

"I don't pay a lot of attention to authority out here. I get along on my own." Sakura inhaled the aroma of the cooking stew. She hated to admit it, but it smelled delicious.

"You certainly do."

"So he's killed your family. What's he want with you?" Sakura swallowed again and looked down. Tomoyo gasped.

"You could try to a little less blunt, you know."

"Sorry," he muttered, though he wasn't, really. Death was something that had to be accepted and gotten over. There wasn't any way around it.

Sakura's hands were shaking even harder now.

"The general wants to marry her," Tomoyo explained. "Legitimize his claim to the throne. He's running the kingdom with an iron fist, but it's taking a lot of effort on his part. It'll be easier for him if Sakura is queen. She's a recognized leader to the people."

"And he didn't kill my whole family," Sakura added in a low voice. "I know he didn't."

Li leaned forward to inspect the thickening liquid in the pot. It would be done soon, hopefully. Both girls looked as though they couldn't wait much more.

"Yeah? Who'd he miss?"

"He didn't miss him. My brother couldn't get out in time; Nikolai made him his prisoner. He's trapped inside the palace."

"How do you know he's not dead?"

"I just know. I can feel it." Li was ladling the stew into some rough wooden bowls.

"What, are you some kind of sorceress or something?"

"Yes."

He looked up, surprised. "Oh. Here." He shoved the bowl into her hands. "Don't eat it too fast, you'll get sick. Just drink the broth at first." Both girls nodded and they raised the bowls to their lips.

"And you, fluffy. How much do you need?"

"I have a name."

"I don't care. You want the food or don't you?" Kero stared hungrily at the steaming stew.

"I'll take as much as you can give."

"Uh-huh. Well, settle for this. It's all I've got." He gave the little creature a smaller portion, then poured himself a very small amount. He'd eaten lunch, and these girls would probably want a second helping. Something of a nuisance, but they'd be gone soon enough.

Sakura and Tomoyo paced themselves carefully, and the sun was already behind the hills by the time they were done.

"Thank you," Sakura said politely when she set her bowl down. Li looked up, but didn't say anything. "Can I help wash up, or anything?" The look in his eyes was unreadable.

"I'll be fine. You should get going."

"Right." Cautiously she stood, then helped Tomoyo to her feet. The stew had really hit the spot, she felt renewed and ready to press on. "Um, do you mind telling us the best way to get out of here?"

"Depends. Which way are you headed?"

Sakura took a deep breath. "To the capital."

"What?" yelped Tomoyo and Kero.

"Sakura, you must be joking - "

"The place is humming with the enemy - "

"We'll never even make it that far - "

"Are you nuts?"

"I don't have a choice," she informed them. "My brother's alive; I need to get to him. He's the only family I have left."

"Sakura, we don't even know the way!"

"It can't be that hard to find, everybody knows where Tomoeda is. I mean it, Tomoyo. We can't keep ducking and running from the soldiers forever. We have to get back and free my brother and the Cards. It's the only chance I have of fighting Nikolai."

Spoken like a true soldier, thought Li, as he looked at her face. There was a stubborn, willful look in her eyes that Tomoyo and Kero obviously recognized. Their shoulders slumped in defeat.

"If you don't want to come with me, then I understand. You don't have to."

"No, no, of course I'm coming with you," Tomoyo assured her. "I'm sworn to serve you and I will."

"And you better not even think of leaving me behind," Kero threatened. "Maybe I can't change forms, but that doesn't mean I can't watch out for your back."

Sakura smiled gratefully. "Then we're going. Li?"

Li hesitated. The shadows were already deep, and the forest would be even darker. He could imagine these two stumbling around in the dark, making all kinds of noise and probably getting lost. They'd never find their way out of the valley. The quickest way to get rid of them would be to just guide them

"Never mind. I'll take you to the ridge."

"Oh no," she said quickly. "You don't have to do that. You can just give us directions; we'll be fine…"

"No you won't. Come on." He dunked the bowls in the creek and gave them a quick scrub, then banked the fire. "Follow me." He picked up his bow and strode to the trees' edge. Sakura didn't like his commanding tone, but what else could she do? After shrugging to her friends, she hurried to follow.  
Li winced at the noise that they made, snapping on twigs and kicking small rocks. Hastily he placed a finger to his lips.

"We're not alone out here," he said quietly.

"What?"

"Wolves. Lynxes. Wild dogs. Carnivores. So for the love of the gods, try to be quiet. I don't feel like getting eaten tonight."

"Sorry," they both whispered.

"Don't be sorry. Just be quiet." Evidently a favorite saying of his. Sakura nodded and concentrated on placing her feet exactly where he placed his, stepping in his tread as they wound their way up the valley floor. It was so dark, she didn't know how he could see anything, but he never made a sound. In contrast, she and Tomoyo sounded like a pair of horses crashing through the bush. At least Kero wasn't making any noise.

Silently, Li led them through the trees. Above them, Sakura could see a pale and ghostly moon rising into the sky. It hurt to look at it, and she felt the familiar tears pricking at her eyes. It seemed she'd done nothing but cry for the past two weeks. When would the pain ever stop?

Tomoyo nudged her. She'd stopped walking without realizing it, gazing up at the celestial orb, and Li was disappearing into the dark.

Whoops. She hurried to catch up.

There is a time to mourn, and a time to concentrate on living. This is one of the latter, I think. He'll leave me behind in a heartbeat; I need to keep up.

She swallowed her tears and refocused her attention on placing her feet in his footsteps. As long as she was concentrating on something, she would be all right. She would be fine.

So intent on her task, she didn't even notice when he stopped, and she bumped right into him.

"Watch it," he hissed.

"Sor - " She cut herself off in time. "Why did we stop?"

"Because we're there." He stepped aside and pointed. They'd reached the crest of the hill, and she sucked in her breath at the view before them. They were surrounded by stars, more beautiful and bright than she'd ever seen them in the busy town of her upbringing. The countryside spread out below them, dark and quiet, with only the nighttime breeze rustling in the trees to make any noise.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

"I know. There's your destination." He pointed again, this time to a small glow in the distance. "Those are the fires of the nearest village, Brookside. Anybody there can give you directions to the main road. I'd be careful of who I talked to if I were you, though. Keep those eyes down."

Sakura nodded. Her green eyes, so like her mother's, had always been her pride and joy. But there was no mistaking how conspicuous they were.

"Thank you for your help."

"It was nothing," he muttered. She was looking at him so appreciatively, and it unnerved him. He wanted her out of his sight as quickly as possible. "You should be able to see the lights all the way down the hillside. Don't forget about those carnivores; you have to move quietly."

"Right." She looked as though she might be about to hug him, and he backed away.

"You better get going. Good luck, princess. I think you'll need it."

She nodded in agreement, and he turned away to retrace his steps.

"Well, well. Isn't this interesting?" All four of them froze. "Our little proud peasant, guiding the princess that he says he never saw in the valley today. What a surprise that he was lying." Two of the soldiers, the one called Mero and another, stepped out from the trees. Li raised his bow, but they immediately pointed theirs at him.

The second one snickered. "Never trust a commoner's word. They have no concept of honor."

"Isn't that the truth? Now drop it. You only have one arrow against two, you don't have a chance."

Li snarled a little, but he bent over to place his bow carefully on the ground, then backed away and raised his hands. He couldn't believe he hadn't heard them, hadn't sensed their presence. This was his territory, he ruled here. What had distracted him so?

Mero dropped his bow as well and drew his sword, approaching him with a chuckle.

"This is what happens when you betray your king, boy. I'm going to enjoy teaching you that lesson now." Casually he placed the tip of his sword at Li's throat. Behind him he could hear Sakura gasp. "Just as soon as I tie these two up. This is the best day of my life, I think. The General is going to reward me well." He leered at the girls, and for a brief moment, his attention was off Li. It was all Li needed.

Leaning back from the lethal point, he knocked the sword to his right with the flat of his arm and immediately rotated around into a spinning hook kick. His heel connected solidly with the man's face, and he uttered a yelp of pain and surprise. One skip forward, and he kicked his crossbow up from the ground, caught it neatly in one hand and shot the other soldier before the stunned man could even catch up with events. He fell to his knees, astonishment frozen on his face.

There was no time to take a breath. A feeling of air on his neck, and Li whirled around and blocked the sword's downswing with the wooden bow, then jumped and delivered a pushing kick on his ribs that sent his enemy sprawling on the ground. A sound made him look up; another soldier, probably woken from the noise, had burst forth from the trees. How many would there be?

"Run!" he shouted at the girls. They were rooted to the ground, staring at him in shock, but at his command they turned and began to hurtle down the hill. Mero jumped to his feet and screamed a battle cry before swinging his sword wildly at Li. Li evaded his swipes easily; compared to a wolf, this man's reflexes were slow and his movements plainly predictable. He backed up, in the direction of the newcomer. When he was close enough, he ducked to the side and in, grabbing Mero's wrist and twisting. The sword went right underneath his arm to skewer the other soldier. Now not only had he eliminated another threat, he'd disarmed Mero by trapping his sword. Before he got a chance to pull it out, Li had elbowed him in the face, and then again, and then backed up and snapped a hard kick at the chin. His eyes rolled back and he dropped to the ground. The sound of hard galloping made him look up. The other two soldiers were on horseback, bearing down hard on him with raised swords. He dove to the ground and rolled out of the way of the hooves just in time, then yanked the bloodstained sword out of the soldier by his feet.

Li never killed an animal if he could help it, and he didn't aim for the easy target of the horse's legs. Instead he raised his sword to block the swing and twisted his body, so that his blade drew along the man's ribs. He yelled in pain and slumped over, falling off his steed. Panting, Li raised the sword and eyed the last soldier. It had been an extremely long time since his last fight, and the adrenaline was surging through his system. The two of them stared at each other for a frozen moment, then the soldier came to a decision and turned his mount.

Oh no.

Frantically Li tried to catch the riderless horse, but the smell of blood and the sudden absence of her familiar rider had sent her into a panic. He dropped the sword and began to run, but it was hopeless. The man was away and safe.

Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it.

Feeling a little shaky, he dropped to his knees in the moonlight and tried to steady himself. It had been such a long time, he had grown sloppy. He'd let that man get away. And now, the bridge was on fire.

It was easy to track the girls, panicked as they had been. Their trail led him several minutes away from the battle scene, further down the slope, and when it finally ended, he sat down heavily on a large boulder.

"It's me," he said wearily. "You can come out." Cautiously they crawled out from under the bushes. Sakura could see the splashes of blood clearly in the moonlight.

"Oh gods, Li…"

"It's not mine."

"So you're okay?" Tomoyo asked anxiously.

"Let's not go that far." He leaned over and buried his head in his hands as the girls exchanged glances.

"How did you do that?"

"What?"

"The fighting… how did you know how to do that?"

"Hit people? There's not much of a secret to it, round here." He raked his fingers through his messy hair, then stood. There was no time for regrets or self-pity. They had to get moving.

"Come on. We've got to move."

Sakura looked confused. "But - "

"It's over for me, your highness. One of them got away, and he saw me fighting his friends. They won't be content to just come around and bother me, not after this. My father's cabin will probably be in flames before the sunrise. I can't go home anytime soon." She put a hand over her mouth, obviously horrified.

"Don't waste time feeling sorry for me," he snapped. "It happened, and that's that. And we have to get moving. They know Brookside is where we're headed, and we need to get there before they can move in and set up a trap. So start walking already."

His eyes warned her to not say anything. But there was definite pain there, and acute regret. Inwardly she wailed.

Does it never stop? When will they get tired of sacrificing themselves for me? I'm not worth all this. If only the General agreed.

- - - - - -

General Gorrell strode down the long corridor, a dangerous look in his eye. Men froze in his path, not daring to move or even breathe, afraid of attracting attention to themselves. Nobody got in the path of the General when he was angry, and he had good reason to be angry.

Two weeks it had been, two weeks since the reformation. That coup had been his baby. He had coddled it, nurtured his plans, keeping it quiet even as he subtly drove a wedge between the armed forces and the royal family. And it had been carried off brilliantly, almost entirely without hitch.

Except for one thing. Except for one tiny little detail, a problem that continued to persist even after two weeks. And the General was furious.

It was inexcusable that the princess had been allowed to escape. And not only her, but the Sun Guardian as well. After hours of ranting and screaming at the task force assigned to her, no one had been able to offer him a sufficient explanation, and he'd had the entire squad executed. And now she was still eluding his grasp, hiding somewhere in the countryside. The entire army was searching for her, her face was unmistakable, and still she had not been found.

He waved impatiently at the guard, who blanched before remembering to fumble for his keys.

"Today, Lieutenant."

"Sir, yes sir." At last the panicky young man found the correct one and opened the heavy wooden door. The General did not immediately go in. Instead he indicated for the man who had been just a step behind him in the halls to precede him. Colonel Blackstock nodded and marched into the cell.

"On your feet!" he barked, and bent over slightly to grab the prisoner's shirt. The prince had been dozing, and he winced as Blackstock yanked him upright and slammed him against the stone wall behind him. "Your lord and leader is here to greet you."

Touya glared viciously at the General, standing smugly before him with his arms crossed.

"You're nobody's leader. Traitor."

"I grow tired of asking, boy. Tell me where your sister is."

"I told you, I don't know. And I wouldn't tell you if I did. She's out of your reach, General, you'll never catch up to her now."

"Don't be so sure of that, your highness. I'm a patient man when I have to be, and I have many men looking for her, even as we speak. She can't slip through my fingers forever." He took a step closer. "And when she's mine, I'll enjoy doing her right in front of you." Touya snapped and raised his fist; he wanted to strike that smug grin right off his face. But the chains that held his wrists to the wall weren't long enough, and the General only laughed as Touya's swing was arrested midway with a painful jerk. Then he lost his patience and slammed the prince against the wall, again.

"Be careful how you behave, your highness. I don't need you alive; we both know that. You're a last resort, an if-then case if I can't get to your sister before the wolves and the highway bandits do."

He pulled his knife from his belt and stabbed it at the wall, just molecules away from the young man's head. Touya flinched slightly, but he refused to close his eyes. Instead he just locked bitter glares with his parents' murderer.

"Besides, I like keeping you alive for this. I have to gloat to somebody, now that your parents are gone, and I always did think you were an uppity smart-aleck. You needed taking down. After I'm through doing that, I'll kill you. Whether I do it slow or fast is your decision. You think very hard about that, and you think about where your sister might have run off to these past few days."

He released his hold on Touya to pat him lightly on the cheek, then turned and strode away. He'd give him another day or so, and then he'd start using some real torture. The two officers exited the gloomy cell, and the door slammed shut behind them.

"Gareth."

"Sir?"

"It's been too long. I can not understand for the life of me why she's been so lucky." Colonel Blackstock waited patiently. He was one of the few that had been with him since the beginning, one of the few that understood the need for better control in the kingdom. He was also a wizard with the sword, and one of the few men that Gorrell held in genuine esteem. "I want you on this, Gareth. Take your best men, spread them out over the countryside. Use your instincts. Things are in a dangerous holding pattern here in the capital; I want her by my side. I need her here. Do you understand me?"

"Sir, yes sir. We won't leave a fox den unexplored until she's found."

"Go. Go now."

Blackstock saluted, then turned smartly on his heels to go down the corridor.

Dangerous times. These are interesting, dangerous times. But I will triumph, I will succeed. Nothing can stand in my way.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	3. ch2 getting out

Chapter 2 

'**getting out'**

"Hello, Li." Surprised, the innkeeper smiled and cheerfully greeted the young man who had just come through the doors. Li gulped and sent a sideways look at one of the tables; there were four soldiers seated there and eating breakfast. Hastily he made a slight motion signaling quiet. Rufus nodded and waited for Li to approach him at the bar.

"I didn't expect to see you for at least a few weeks. How is life amongst the savages?"

Li glanced at the soldiers again. They didn't seem unduly worried about anything. They must have not have heard yet.

"I haven't been in town long enough to know. I'm in trouble, Rufus. I need your help and I need it quietly."

The portly businessman raised his eyebrows. He'd known this boy since he was a baby, and not once had he ever heard him ask for help.

"You always said you owed me for the friendship you shared with my father. I've never asked you for anything because I never needed it, but I'm in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"The kind that you definitely do not want to know about. All I ask is for supplies. Anything you got: waterbags, tents, flintstone, anything. I have no way to pay you, but I will, someday."

"Of course, of course." Then Rufus frowned. "Tents? As in plural? How many?"

"Three, if you can. Please don't ask, it's a long story. And if you can spare them, three loaves of bread would be great."

"Soldiers!" A fifth uniformed man had just burst through the doorway, and the four at the table jumped to their feet.

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Move out, officer present!" They scrambled out of the rough doorway, never noticing the peasant by the bar that had turned to hide his face.

"And there they go again, without paying," Rufus sighed. "They never do that anymore. There's nothing to make them."

"Can you help me?"

"Yes, I think I can manage some of what you're asking, at least."

"Leave it behind the building, under a blanket or something. I'll have to collect it and move fast, I think my timeline just shortened a bit."

"Is there anything else you need?"

"Yes. Whatever you do, if people come around asking about me, don't tell them anything. And please don't mention that I was here." He leaned forward, his eyes serious. "It's important. Do you understand?"

The older man nodded, worry obvious in his eyes.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be all right. I just have to stay away from here for a little while. When I can unload a certain nuisance, I'll be back." He shook the man's hand and turned to go out of the building. He checked himself at the doorway. Outside in the village square, an entire troop had been assembled. Someone was pacing back and forth in front of them, barking orders to surround the village and fan out, searching in all likely hiding places.

Li had left the girls under the cover of a nearby willow tree with only the crossbow to defend themselves with. He would have to hurry, but he didn't want to step outside the inn with all of those soldiers. Then he saw that one of them was looking right at him, curiously. He couldn't afford to look suspicious, and so he took a deep breath and shut the door behind him, then casually walked to the edge of the square.

The man who had escaped him the night before was nowhere to be seen, a godsend. Without him, there was nothing to distinguish him from anybody else in the village. He was safe, momentarily.

Bored already with the overly detailed instructions, the captain followed the peasant with his eyes as he walked around the edge of the square and disappeared down a dusty alleyway.

That's not right, he was thinking to himself. He walks… different than the others. He walks like a fighter.

"Captain Hiiragizawa?"

"Sir!" He dragged his attention away from the peasant and focused on his commanding officer.

"I'd like you to come with me, up the hillside. Then we'll see if we can sort out who exactly killed our men last night."

"Sir, yes sir."

The colonel dismissed the rest of the troop, and they mounted their horses.

- - - - - - -

The willow stalks rustled and Sakura raised the bow, panicked. Li had been gone much longer than he said he would, maybe –

But it was him, and he just glared at her before pushing the bow to the side.

"Watch where you point that thing. You could have shot me."

"You said you would call out and warn us."

"Not an option anymore." He was speaking very quietly, so low that she had to lean in to hear him. "They're all around us, combing the countryside. We have to tread carefully here."

"Did you talk to your friend?"

"Yes. I'll give him a few minutes, then we'll have to head in to get it. I don't want to ask him to bring it out here; it's too dangerous for him. And I can't go in alone, I don't know if I'll be able to carry it all. We're just going to have to be very sneaky about it, got it?"

She nodded. "Did you get directions to the main road?"

"Excuse me, but who the hell do you think are? Quit double checking everything that I say I'm going to do. It's annoying." He glared at her again before turning to peek outside their cover.

Sakura gritted her teeth. She felt terrible about what had happened, and he knew it. Did he have to be so short-tempered and grouchy, though?

"The way's clear for now. Come on. And move quietly for once." He slipped through the green curtain, and Tomoyo and Kero both gave her resigned looks. She shrugged and followed. His attitude was annoying, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. He knew what he was doing, and she did not. Their lives were in his hands, at least for the moment. She did hate this helplessness.

- - - - - - -

"They surrounded us, sir. It was horrible. I barely managed to escape with my life. I knew the news must be brought to my commanding officer as soon as possible." The soldier concluded his tale with sweeping gestures and wide eyes. Colonel Blackstock nodded as he took it in, glancing around at the bodies of his dead soldiers.

"Jaberwocky," Eriol muttered as he examined the scene.

"What was that, Captain?"

"Er, I must respectfully disagree with the seargent, sir." He straightened from his crouching position near one of the dead men. "Because of everybody wandering all over the site, most of the tracks are lost. However, just here it's clear enough. It's where the majority of the battle took place. There's a mark here, where somebody laid a crossbow on the ground. One pair of feet back away from it. And then, here, are the footsteps of someone wearing Royal Army footwear, striding up to him. This is where most of the struggle took place; you can see how tight and confined the area is, with all the confusion in the dirt. A small area, as opposed to the grand battle the seargent is describing."

The soldier bristled and glared at the younger man, but the officer was not to be put off.

"As I said, most of the scene has been tampered with. However, I think you'll agree that there are no tracks that can be found besides those of our soldiers, and this one particular pair. And the two women. You can see how they run off together, over here, but unfortunately, their trail has been disturbed. There's no way to follow it."

Colonel Blackstock raised his eyebrows.

"An interesting story, Captain. I see what your betters were talking about when they promoted you to such an exalted rank for your young age. But I don't think you have a complete picture of the story, staring in the dirt like this."

"Sir?"

"Our soldiers are not sloppy fighters, and they are well-trained in nighttime combat. I find it extremely hard to believe that only one man could defeat four, no matter what you think you see on the ground." The soldier beside him relaxed and shot Eriol a smug look. Eriol scowled. The colonel could say what he liked; he didn't want to believe that one man took four soldiers down anymore than Eriol did. But the proof was there on the ground. If only he'd been able to get a better look before all these men tramped over it.

"We think one of them was a peasant who lived down in the valley. We found him there yesterday and questioned him; he denied all knowledge of the princess. But he was definitely there last night, and there was only one residence in the valley."

Eriol perked up. "Permission to go and examine the dwelling, sir?"

"Permission denied, Captain, the cabin was torched this morning. There's nothing left to examine, or live in. The subjects of the kingdom must understand the penalty for disobedience to our leader."

Damn. A close look at his house might have given me a few clues.

Eriol was disappointed, but he knew better than to show it. "Yes sir."

"I don't think we're going to learn anything more standing around up here. Mount up, soldiers, it's time to rejoin the hunt. The princess is here in this area somewhere, it's just a matter of clamping down hard and searching thoroughly. I don't care how many people she's got helping her, I want her found and retrieved. Am I understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" they all shouted in perfect unison, and jumped on their horses to ride down the hill. Eriol paused a moment to stroke Ruby on the nose, and she stamped a hoof, impatient to get going.

For the security of the kingdom. For order and discipline's sake. She's got to be found.

He leapt lightly on his mare's back and followed the other soldiers.

- - - - - -

Sakura could feel her heart thumping fast and furious as she tiptoed behind Li down the narrow alleyway. There were soldiers everywhere in this village, roaming and searching for the green-eyed princess. She did her best to keep her face down and still appear casual, but her heart was beating so hard that she was surprised her enemies couldn't hear it all over town.

Li inhaled deeply, stretching out with his senses and allowing instinct to take over. This was not so different from hunting in the forest, but now he was the prey. And the soldiers, fortunately, were noisy and clumsy compared to the wild animals. It was easy to avoid them. He jerked to a stop near a corner and held Sakura back with an arm across her chest. Two of them shuffled down the street, their swords clinking loudly against their belts. They were looking around, but so involved with their conversation that they only glanced over the shadowy alleyway. Li waited until they were out of earshot, then whispered to the girls.

"We have to cross the main street now. Walk casual." They nodded, their eyes wide with fear. Peeking cautiously around the stone wall, Li made sure there was no one coming their way, then stepped out into the open. Nothing happened, of course, and he took Sakura's hand in his to lead her up the street. The inn was right up next to the town square, but they wouldn't have to go that far. Instead he pulled her through a narrow opening between the inn and the neighboring building. Tomoyo followed, her long black hair disappearing with a swish just as a footsoldier rounded the bend in the street. He frowned thoughtfully. Had he just seen someone slip between the buildings?

This space was obviously not meant to be any thoroughfare, but it was wide enough for the three of them to walk comfortably, and eventually it emptied into an opening between the other buildings and the inn. A well sat in the middle, near a mysterious bundle that had been left by the kitchen entrance of the inn.

Bless you, Rufus.

Li grinned and shoved his bow into Sakura's hands to pull off the blanket. One tent, three waterbags, a flintstone, a quiver of arrows, and a cloth bag that contained three loaves of bread and some dried meat.

"You, fill these." He tossed the waterbags to Tomoyo and began to fold the hide tent up into a small bundle.

"What are you three doing back here?" Li's head jerked up; there was a soldier standing just a few paces away, holding his sword out threateningly.

"Shoot," he directed Sakura.

"What? Oh, right." Sakura had never held a crossbow in her life, nor had she ever killed anyone. Hesitantly she raised the bow and released the trigger, but the recoil was stronger than she'd thought it be. Her aim was miserable, and the arrow plunked harmlessly on the stone wall.

"Sorry!" she wailed. Li rolled his eyes.

"Reload." The soldier was striding toward them now.

She picked an arrow up from the ground and looked at it helplessly.

"I don't know how!"

Figures, Li thought. This is pathetic. I'll have to handle it.

The broom used to sweep the kitchen was lying against the wall, and it was the work of a second to jam his foot against the handle and snap it off near the brushy end. He raised it just in time to block the swing, then another, then darted to the side and in when his opponent tried to stab inward. Trapping the sword with the staff, he sidled right up against the man and struck with his elbow. There was a grunt, and then a deep intake of breath. Horrified, Li realized he was going to yell out for reinforcements, and he dropped his staff to cover the man's mouth. Then he completed the rotation and stepped around behind him, giving a quick jerk with his hands. The man never had a chance to scream before falling to the cobbled ground, his neck broken. Both Tomoyo and Sakura, and Kero peeking out of Tomoyo's tiny satchel, gaped.

"Come on, what are you looking at? Fill those waterbags already. And you." He motioned for Sakura to turn around and face away from him. "Stand still. You get to carry the tent on your back."

"You're amazing," she said over her shoulder, clearly awed. "How did you learn to do that? The fighting?" He strapped the bundle onto her back, fastening it securely over her shoulders.

"This is not the time or place to be chatting over tea, your highness. Are those waterbags filled yet?"

"Almost."

"Well, hurry up. If he had a partner, we're in trouble." He picked up the bag of food.

"Is there bread in there?" Kero asked hopefully.

"Eat later. Survive now." He shoved the bag in Tomoyo's hands and took two of the waterbags, looping them over Sakura's head and shoulder. Then he took the bow and the quiver. "Now watch." Quickly he slapped an arrow into the groove, and pulled back the sinew until there was a tiny click. "Got it?"

She nodded a little uncertainly. "I think so."

"Now you know. Come on." He paused to throw the blanket over the soldier's body and slipped out the way they had come.

Miraculously, the streets were much emptier on the way out than the way in. After having combed the village thoroughly, the soldiers were assuming that they were already out in the countryside and pushing outward. It should be simple enough, Li thought, to stay behind them and wend their way to the main road. He knew the territory, and these men did not. If they could just make it out of the village, they'd be all right.

- - - - - -

"It's a punishment, isn't it?" Eriol whispered in his mare's ear. Ruby flicked her ear back, then shook her head viciously to rid herself of the flies. "Don't disagree with me. I know it is."

Blackstock can't stand the thought of anyone insulting his soldier's fighting abilities. I should have known better than to open my mouth.

He heaved a sigh and glared at the empty village square before him. The colonel had assigned him, maliciously or no, to the hub of the village, where the princess was obviously not going to be. Eriol thought it highly unlikely that she was in the village at all, and was probably somewhere between the town and the main road. Clearly Blackstock felt the same way; that was where he'd assigned most of his men. But Eriol was here.

Frustrated, he paced a little. He really wished he'd had the chance to study the cabin of that peasant. Eriol liked to study things, he liked to piece together the clues and solve mysteries. No doubt why Blackstock was so threatened by him. In his opinion, the colonel was far too focused on physical combat, and didn't respect intelligence like he ought to. But Eriol was a soldier, and he would follow orders, whether he liked his commanding officer or not.

Unless…

There was no rule that said he couldn't scout around the village square. He had merely been told to station himself there to act as a conduit of communication. Nobody would mind if he just looked around a little.

"Stay there," he ordered Ruby, who snorted at him. "I'll just be a minute."

The captain wandered over to the edge of the square and turned the corner. This lane led down the side of the village inn, then twisted and turned amongst the many thatched huts of the village. Eriol hesitated. He didn't want to go that far, he couldn't let the square out of his sight. But there beside him there was a tiny space between the inn and the next building, one that obviously led to somewhere by all the sunlight that he could see at the other end. He would just see where it led, and then return to his post. It would only take a minute.

Holding his bow at the ready, he slipped down the alleyway to the courtyard. A blanket had been pulled over something on the ground, something that looked awfully like –

Another body. He's killed another one.

Eriol pulled the blanket right off to investigate. The lieutenant had never even been disarmed; he gripped his sword still in death. The eyes were wide and staring, and the neck was twisted at an unnatural angle.

This is interesting. There isn't a scratch on this man, it doesn't look as if any weapon was used at all. How did he get close enough to a man wielding a sword to break the neck?

The broom handle was lying on the cobbled ground just a few paces away; its clean white wood on the inside showed how recently it had been broken.

A broom handle. He used a broom as his staff to deflect a well-trained swordsman and then broke his neck. We're not dealing with a random tough peasant here. He knows what he's doing.

He straightened and glanced around.

What were they doing back here in the first place? Seems like an awful risk to be taking.

His blue eyes fell upon the well, the bucket still balanced on the edge. They must have been there to fill their waterbags. A little had been spilled onto the ground, though it was rapidly drying in the early morning sunshine. He frowned at it. Fifteen – no, twenty minutes. They were here just twenty minutes ago. He had to find the colonel, and quick.

Sakura didn't dare move, didn't dare breathe. She was pressed down under the cover of a thick hedge, Li and Tomoyo wedged in on either side of her. Almost within reaching distance, two pairs of boots had stopped their pacing on the country lane. Why had they stopped? Could they see them? Were they biding their time, waiting to see if they would panic and break out of their cover? Beside her, she could feel Li breathing calmly and evenly. He wasn't scared at all, simply alert and ready for action if it happened. She wished she could be like that.

Lying on the ground like she was, she could feel the vibrations of the galloping horse before she could see the hooves slow down and approach the footsoldiers. This was why they had stopped. She relaxed slightly.

"Sir!"

"At ease. Any signs of the princess and her friends?"

"No sir," one of them answered. "We've been traversing this lane non-stop for hours, but there's no indication that they were ever near here. It's entirely possible that they took another route to the main road."

"Acknowledged. But be aware that she'll be going to great pains to hide herself. Keep your eyes open and extra sharp, men." The pale horse stamped its hoof on the dusty lane, and Sakura felt her eyes water. A cough right now would be fatal, and she struggled to hold it in. "It's time to relocate, soldiers, by now they're bound to be further up the road. March up one click, then resume searching."

"Yes sir, Colonel Blackstock."

Colonel Blackstock?

Sakura almost whimpered aloud and stopped herself just in time. She knew this man, she had seen how ruthless and cunning he could be in the sword-fighting courtyards. He was also one of Gorrell's closest compatriots. Another horse approaching interrupted her thoughts, this one of a dark chestnut color.

"Colonel Blackstock, sir!"

"Captain? What are you doing away from your post?"

"Urgent new information, sir. I've discovered another body, one of our own, behind the village inn." Sakura gulped. When the colonel spoke again, his voice was strained and terse.

"How did it happen?"

"His neck was broken, sir. I think they surprised each other. All the signs indicated that it happened just less than an hour ago. Sir, I think they must be right around here."

Oh god. It's over now.

Li must have sensed her panic, because he nudged her shoulder gently and shook his head. Be calm, his eyes were saying. Don't give in to hysterics.

"Farfetched, captain. It's been too long, they're sure to have passed this point by now. Our soldier must have been dead since early this morning."

"But sir, I - "

"Enough, Captain. You are already treading on dangerous ground, having left your assignment. I don't have time to deal with you properly just now, the princess claims top priority. Now accompany these men up the road, and keep your eyes open."

The dark horse's legs pranced a little, and Li knew that the soldier on her back must be communicating his frustration to her.

This one is smart. He's a tracker, a wolf. He's the one to watch out for.

"Yes sir," the captain finally said, glumly.

"That's more like it. Keep your mind on the task at hand, and out of the clouds. I want her found today." The palomino reared up a little, and turned to gallop further down the road. The two soldiers and the captain followed at a walking pace, and then finally it was quiet.

"Can we go now?" Tomoyo whispered.

"Weren't you listening? They're already further up the road, and we know at least one of them will be watching over his shoulder for us. It's too dangerous to keep moving in the broad daylight like this."

"What's the alternative?"

Li wriggled backward out from under the hedge and rolled back onto his feet. Sakura and Tomoyo awkwardly followed his example.

"I think I know a place where we can rest. It'll be a tight fit, but good cover. Stay down." He began to cross the field on his hands and knees. Sakura wished she knew how he did that so quickly, even with the bow and quiver strung across his back. She and Tomoyo were having a terrible time of it. Fortunately, he didn't lead them very far. They crossed a field, crawling down in between the rows of early green stalks, then crawled under another hedge into a field of wildflowers. They were beautiful, covering the land with their thick and colorful blossoms. Waving gently in the breeze, they looked like a carpet of rainbows.

"Wow," she said, unable to stop herself. She'd never seen anything like this growing up in Tomoeda. It was gorgeous, but she felt another lump in her throat rising as she took in the sight. Her mother loved rainbows. She would have loved this.

"Over here," Li called out in a low voice. He was kicking at a clod of dirt, knocking away a tangled barrier of roots and soil and tiny rocks. He was enlarging an opening in the ground, and she could see a dark hole underneath a massive tree.

"What is it?"

"An old wolverine den that I found when I was a kid. If I got caught in the rain coming back from the main road, I'd come here."

She eyed it nervously. "Is it safe?"

"Safer than being out in the open," he said impatiently, and crawled down into it. He was right. Sakura braced herself and followed suit, and then Tomoyo came. It was a rather tight fit, but Li had scraped at the walls over the years, widening the space enough that a person could stretch out comfortably. She and Tomoyo leaned against the wall together, exhausted. They hadn't slept for two days now, and already Tomoyo's eyes were closing.

"Open that sack. I'm hungry."

"Same here," Kero piped up. "Which one's mine?"

There were only three in the sack, and Sakura broke her loaf in half. "Here, Kero. We can share."

"No," Tomoyo interposed, shaking her head. "You need it more. I'll share with Kero."

Sakura grinned. "We'll each give him a little. It'll be fine. There's meat too, after all."

"Later," Li said firmly. "When you don't know where your next meal is coming from, you save the dried meat. First rule of traveling."

"Oh. Right." She blushed as she handed Li his bread. "Have you traveled quite a bit?"

"Maybe." His tone was a warning one, and she decided not to ask any more questions. Instead she finished her bread and tried to keep herself from yawning.

"How long are we going to be here?"

"Til dusk. It's a better time for hiding."

"Oh." Tomoyo was leaning on her shoulder, her breathing already becoming more deep and even. They were both slipping into sleep. "Do you think we can sleep a little? We're both so tired."

"You can do whatever you want. I don't care." Kero was already flat on his back and snoring lightly. Sakura realized that Li hadn't slept any the night before either, but he was sitting up against the wall and pointing his bow casually at the entrance to their hideout.

"Wait. Are you going to stay up to be a lookout?"

"Someone's got to." She glanced at her friend. Tomoyo was already asleep, her features calm and relaxed.

"No. I should help. I'll stay up, and you can sleep."

Li snorted contemptuously. "And if someone comes, what will you do? Throw the arrows at them?"

"I could wake you if I heard someone coming. You can't not sleep, you'll never be able to travel if you don't get some rest."

Don't you tell me what I can and cannot do, he thought, annoyed. Then he saw the concern in her eyes, and the worry. She wasn't thinking at all about how tired she was. He had to admit it, he was rather impressed. For a princess raised with a silver spoon in her mouth, she'd been doing all right. Maybe she was hopeless and pathetic, but she hadn't complained once.

"I'll wake you in a few hours. Get some rest, already. You're not used to this."

"Okay," she agreed. "Thank you. You've done so much for us. I wish I knew how to repay you."

"I don't want to be repaid. I didn't want any of this."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'm just grateful, that's all. Grateful that you're on our side, and not theirs."

"Hmph. I'm not on anyone's side. Circumstances have stuck me with you for the moment, but don't kid yourself. I hate royalty."

She'd been sliding into a doze, but sat upright at that last part. "What? Why?" Those brown eyes were so unreadable. She could see her reflection in them in the weak sunlight filtering through the opening.

"I hate all class divisions."

"But why?"

"I just do. Don't worry about it, your highness. Go to sleep."

"But - "

"I said, go to sleep. I'm not in the mood to talk."

She subsided and lay down on the dark, cool earth. There was a funny smell to it and she wrinkled her nose, but then she decided she liked it. It was a sturdy, kind of soothing aroma.

Why would a peasant who lived his whole life in the country, and got along very well by the looks of it, hate royalty so much? Does he hate me? I never asked to be born into this role, and I never asked for what's happening to me now. If only…

She could feel a great weariness engulfing her, and her mind beginning to shut down.

I almost wish I'd been born a peasant too. It would be nice, to live in a place like where Li lived. So calm and peaceful. If only things had been different…

She lost her thoughts to the oblivion of sleep.

Sakura felt a hundred times better when she awoke that evening. It was much darker, and she could barely see the young man beside her, still watching the entrance to their hideout.

"What happened?" she murmured sleepily. "You said you would wake me."

"I had things to think about. But now it's time to move. Wake her up." He gestured with the bow to Tomoyo. There was a little smile on her friend's face, and Sakura hated to pull her out of her dream, but it had to be done. Gently she shook her.

"Tomoyo. Tomoyo, wake up."

"Hmmm?"

"Come on, we have to get going." Those violet eyes opened, then saddened as Tomoyo remembered their new situation. "Good dream, huh?"

"The best," she sighed. "The way things used to be."

"I know. But we'll be all right." Tomoyo sat up and they shared a hug while Li cleared his throat impatiently.

"Come on, the sun's almost down. Time to move." Crawling on his elbows and knees, he wriggled out of the den and cautiously swept his gaze around the area, bow at the ready. There was no one around, the scene utterly peaceful. "Come on up." Clumsily the girls clambered up through the hole, Kero floating just over them.

"You, fluffy. You're on recon duty. Fly up and scout around to see if there's any soldiers between us and the lane."

"It's Keroberos to you," the little bear sniffed, before flapping his wings and rising in the air. Li shot the girls a puzzled look.

"What is he anyway?"

"It's complicated. He's the Sun Guardian, one of– no, _the_ guardian beast of the Cards. It's his life duty to protect them, and me."

"What are the cards?"

"The focus of my power. I can wield magic, but it's limited. With the Cards, I can call on great forces if I need to. I've spent my whole life mastering them." Her face fell. "And now Nikolai has them. He can't use them, fortunately, no one can except me. I don't like to think of what he would do with them."

Li's experience with magic was fairly limited, but he'd heard of what kind of powers the royal family possessed. He'd never imagined it had anything to do with any cards, though. Sakura had a fearful look in her eyes as she stared at the sunset.

"You think he'll try to force you to use them for his ends?"

She nodded. "I'm almost sure of it. It's too much potential power for him to throw away. It's also why he's keeping my brother alive, I think. He'd need a hostage to ever force me to use them for his purposes." She pressed her lips together and swallowed.

Please, please, please don't let it ever come to that. I could never choose between saving Touya and raining mass destruction on my kingdom.

Tomoyo, as always, knew exactly what was going on in her mind and gave her an encouraging squeeze around the shoulders.

"Don't worry, Sakura, it won't happen. We'll get the Cards back. Once we have them, it will be easy to take care of Nikolai."

Which is probably why they're the most heavily guarded objects in that palace, thought Li, but didn't say anything aloud. Kero was floating back down to earth.

"We're all clear, kids."

"Great. Let's go." Li stood and stretched carefully before crossing over the hedge and crawling underneath it. This was the second evening in several years that he had not run through his drills, but it couldn't be helped. Training time was over.

"I don't think we'll have to crawl," he said thoughtfully to the girls when they reached the next field. "I'm ready to cover some distance, and it's dusky enough. Just keep low, all right?"

They nodded, and bent their knees slightly to mimic him as he rapidly crossed the field. The stars were beginning to come out, in between scattered clouds, and a light breeze ruffled Sakura's hair. She noticed that it was ruffling Li's hair too, lifting those scruffy bangs off his face and out of his eyes. He had very attractive eyes, but they were so guarded and mysterious.

I wonder if he really does hate me. Just because I was born a princess. No. Surely not, he wouldn't be helping us like this if he hated me that badly. He said himself that he doesn't pay a lot of attention to authority out here. Perhaps he just resents a ruler that he never sees in person. I would.

Silently they slipped down the side of the lane. Breaking out of her musings, Sakura couldn't help but notice how much better she and Tomoyo were getting with the noiseless tread. These past couple weeks had been absolute hell, but the two of them had learned to adapt themselves rather quickly. Li hadn't corrected them once since they started.

He startled her with a groan of frustration.

"What, what? We're being as quiet as you are!"

"It's not that." He straightened and held his hand out, palm up. "It's starting to rain."

"It is?" Sure enough, a fat cold drop plunked on her hair. She'd been so involved in moving silently through the grass that she'd never noticed the clouds growing thicker and darker above their heads, hiding the moon and stars completely from view. Another drop of rain landed squarely on her nose, and she winced. Li was pushing his bangs out of his eyes and scowling.

"This is not good. It's too early in the season, too cold to stay out in the rain for very long. We're going to have stop moving for the night."

"Out here in the middle of nowhere? In the rain?"

"You're not made of sugar. You won't melt. And the water will just run off the tent. You'll be fine."

Sakura caught his drift and shook her head firmly. "No. There is no way on earth that I am going to let you sleep outside in the rain, and I don't care how tough you think you are."

"What did I say about questioning me out here? This is not your palace, princess, you are not in charge out here."

"Don't you think I know that? I'm trying to keep you from coming down with pneumonia, that's all. Excuse me for worrying about you."

"You don't need to worry about me, I can take care of myself just fine." They both crossed their arms and glared at each other in the darkness, as the rainfall began to grow heavier. Tomoyo and Kero looked back and forth from one stubborn face to the other, uncertain of what to say.

"You don't know what you're saying, your highness. You can't sit out here and get completely soaked. You have no choice, you have to stop."

"I will refuse to sleep under the tent if you set it up out here."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"You cannot sleep out in the rain, you'd never recover from it."

"Well, I guess we'll see, won't we?"

Li threw up his arms and made an exasperated noise in the back of his throat. "Why are you being so damn stubborn about this? Can't you see that we have nowhere else to go?"

"What about those lights in the distance?" She raised her hand and pointed to a small glow far ahead in the fields.

"Oh no. No, no, don't you even think about that. That's a roadside inn, and it is way too dangerous to consider going there. Very high profile, the only place to sleep for miles."

"But you said yourself that the soldiers will be far ahead of us. Surely they've already passed through this area."

"Still too dangerous."

"We could sleep in the stables. Nobody would see us."

Li kicked at a clod of wet earth beneath his boots and growled. He was exhausted, he'd been pushing himself too hard, too much this past day and night. And so many unpleasant memories were coming back, nagging at his mind, distracting him. He was irritable, and needed some rest.

"Fine. We're going. But you've got to be absolutely silent, do you understand me? If anyone sees us going into the stables, it's over."

"We understand." Sakura stomped past him. "Let's go already."

Tomoyo saw him grind his teeth a little, then turn to follow. "She's very stubborn when she wants to be," she said softly to Li.

"Spoiled brat."

"Say what you like, but she's thinking of your welfare right now." He made no reply to that, and they continued down the side of the road in utter silence. The glow from the inn's fires grew brighter and bigger, a beacon of hope to Sakura as the rain soaked through her clothes and squelched in her boots. A new blister was starting to form on her right heel, making her limp a little, and her hair was hanging in wet strands over her face. She was miserable, but she pressed her lips together every time she wanted to complain. She would not give him the satisfaction of hearing her whine.

At last they reached the buildings. The inn itself was a large, solid structure that looked heartrendingly comfortable. But they turned away from that to cross the courtyard and enter the stables. Inside it was pitch dark, and Li had to leave the door open to find a stall that was empty.

Sakura sneezed, and he whipped around to glare at her.

"Quiet!"

"I didn't mean to," she snapped, and wrung her shirt out to rid herself of excess moisture. Both she and Tomoyo were shivering, but the stables were warm from the body heat of the animals. They'd be all right, hopefully. Li smiled with satisfaction when he came to the end of the rows. There was a ramshackle stall in the far back corner, broken down and unused for evidently some time. The wooden railing was rotting and falling down, and he pulled it up to construct a screen between the stall and the rest of the stable.

"Here. This should be safe enough. Close that door." Tomoyo complied, and the girls tiptoed down the row to join him. He was spreading out a clump of fresh hay on the dirt floor.

"Hand me that tent." He took it from Sakura's hands and spread it out over the hay, then removed his wet boots. "This is as good as it gets, your highness. Will you be able to make it through the night?" There was no mistaking the sarcastic edge to his voice, and Sakura glared, though she knew he probably couldn't even see it in the dark.

"I'll be all right, thank you. Tomoyo? Kero?"

"We'll be fine," they both said hastily. The girls removed their boots as Li opened up Tomoyo's bag and removed four strips of jerky.

"Here. The rest can be breakfast, and then after that we're on our own. So make it last." They nodded and each took a slice of meat. "I'm exhausted, and I'm going to bed. Who's up for first watch?"

"I am," Tomoyo said immediately. "I feel ready to stay awake."

"Okay," Sakura agreed. "But when you get tired, you wake me up, got it? I can watch until sunrise. We'll want to get out of here before people start waking and coming in here for their horses, I assume."

"Very good," Li praised. "Wake me the second there's trouble, don't try to take care of anything yourself." He yawned and pulled off his thick cotton shirt. He was better off without it than sleeping in it wet, and he hung it on a scrap of wood to dry. Sakura could barely see in the darkness, but she heard what he was doing and was surprised to find herself blushing a little. Other than her brother and Yukito when they were swimming, she'd never seen a man without his shirt; the royal court etiquette didn't allow for such things. Obviously the rules were different out here in the countryside. Maybe he was hoping she might strip down too.

Well, he could just keep on hoping. She'd rather sleep in her wet clothes, thank you very much. She lay down on the tent's rough surface and tried to get comfortable. Maybe it wasn't her feather bed, but it was better than some of the places she'd slept in over the past couple of weeks.

"Good night, Tomoyo."

"Good night, Sakura." Tomoyo leaned against the wooden wall that formed the back of the stall and laid the crossbow next to her. Soon she could hear the princess' deep and even breathing as she fell into slumber. Li, despite his obvious fatigue, was still fidgeting slightly.  
"Something the matter, Li?"

"No."

"I know it isn't easy to relinquish control for someone like you. But you really should try to get some sleep. I'll be fine."

Li raised his eyebrows in the dark. "You're pretty good at reading people, aren't you?"

"It's one of my better skills. A very handy ability in a place like the palace." She swallowed. "I guess I wasn't as good as I thought. None of us knew what the General was planning. He took everyone by surprise."

"I wouldn't beat yourself up about it," he advised. "The past is past. Can't do anything about it now."

"I know." She paused and examined his faint outline lying on the tent. "You're going to a lot of trouble to help us, considering what we've brought upon you. Why are you doing this for us?"

"I'm not doing anything for you. All I want is to get you out of my homeland, as far as possible. Then the soldiers will leave my valley alone and I can start to rebuild."

She nodded.

"Whatever you say. We're grateful for any assistance." He muttered something too low for her to hear and rolled over, signaling the end of the conversation. After a while, she could hear his deep breathing as well. He had succumbed to sleep at last.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	4. ch3 the sword

Chapter 3 

'**the sword'**

Sakura watched the light between the cracks of the walls grow from gray to pale pink. Sunrise was surely near. She rose and stretched, trying to pick hay out of her tangled hair. Her clothes had dried overnight, and the boots too, though now they were so stiff that it was difficult to pull them back on her sore feet. She gritted her teeth, but there was no point in whimpering. They'd be doing a lot of walking that day, most likely, and it was no good dwelling on the pain already.

She limped down the rows of horses and pushed open the door. All was still and quiet; the countryside was totally peaceful. There was nothing to indicate that there had been a violent and bloody coup just two weeks earlier in the capital. Once again she found herself wishing that she could just live in the countryside as a peasant, like Li. It must be nice to be so removed from the events of the government. She crept to the cover of the trees to relieve herself, then began to cross back to the stables.

I feel so filthy and disgusting. What I would give for a nice bath.

Wistfully she remembered the huge marble bathroom in her palace suite. There had never been a shortage of hot water, or the many scented bottles of soaps and oils. Being clean was such a luxury these days. She paused, her hand on the stable doors. That thing in the courtyard, what was it? It looked like the pictures she'd seen in her books, a water pump.

I wonder…

Hesitantly she crossed the courtyard. It definitely was a water pump, there was already a patch of wet dirt underneath it. Somebody else was up, too. Sakura pressed down hard on the handle, but it wouldn't give. Then she tried turning it, but that didn't work either.

Hmm.

She stopped her struggles when she saw the little girl, just five or six, staring at her from the kitchen doorway.

"Good morning," she said diffidently. The girl just nodded.

"Um, would you mind showing me how to work this?" Again the girl nodded, and tugged on her braids thoughtfully before crossing the courtyard. Giving a sharp yank to the handle, she jerked it upwards and a stream of clean cold water came spilling out onto the ground.

"Oh, upwards. Got it." The little girl giggled, and Sakura grinned, glad that Li hadn't witnessed that little episode. Gratefully she splashed some water onto her face and tried to comb out her hair.

"This feels better than any bubble bath that I've ever had," she informed the little one, who giggled some more.

"Yer funny."

"I'm glad you think so."

"Mum's got the bread comin' out. You wont some?"

"Oh, that would be nice, but I don't have any money. I have to get going."

"-t's all right. You ken have some." She tugged on Sakura's hand and pulled her across to the inn. Many wooden stools and a few tables were gathered near the entrance, alongside an outdoors oven. "She had to be up early today to make it all, wot with the many men that come in late last night."

Sakura stopped in her tracks, and the girl turned around. "Wait."

"Wot is it, then?"

"What men came in late last night?"

She had sinking sensation of dread when she saw the little girl's face. Maybe she was just being paranoid. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. The soldiers were surely far ahead of them on the road. But before her new friend could open her mouth to answer, the door to the inn swung open once more. Sakura looked up to find herself facing Colonel Blackstock.

For a moment they just stared at each other, both equally surprised. Then his face broke into a big smile.

"Your highness! So good to see you, we've been ever so worried." He stepped out into the courtyard, unhurried, along with one of his footsoldiers. Sakura was rooted to the ground in shock, trembling with fear. "You know you really shouldn't be out in a place like this, it's so unsuitable for a young woman of your upbringing. The General was concerned enough for your welfare that he sent me to collect you." He stepped closer and held out his hand in a friendly gesture; she tried to move back and tripped over a stool.

"I – I don't want t-to go back," she stuttered, and tried to crawl away as he came closer. The soldier raised his bow warily and tracked her. "Get away," she warned the child. She knew they wouldn't shoot her, but the little girl was in danger. "Go hide!" The girl's eyes were wide with fear, and she backed away to duck underneath one of the tables. The colonel was still stepping, slowly and carefully, in her direction.

"Come now, your highness. Don't you want to come back to the palace, see your brother? I'm sure he misses you."

Sakura couldn't reply, her fear was choking her throat, pulling her into panic as she tried to scramble away from the approaching soldier.

"Pl-please… I don't want to g-go - "

She broke off in surprise when the footsoldier uttered a grunt of pain. An arrow had sprouted from his chest, and he stared at it in a moment of stunned shock before tumbling to the ground. Both Sakura and Blackstock looked up to see Li a few paces away, slapping another arrow into his bow. The colonel made a motion for his sword, but Li finished reloading and raised the bow to point at him.

"Don't."

Blackstock paused, his hand still on the hilt of his sword. "Turn away from this, boy. This girl is the property of our new king." Li glanced at Sakura's terrified face.

"She doesn't seem to think so."

"Not her decision, I'm afraid." He made another step for the princess, and Li did the same, raising his bow even higher. He was reluctant to shoot the man just yet, as he had no more arrows. But he would if he had to.

"Come on, get up," he directed Sakura. "It's time to go." She was shaking with fear, but she managed to climb to her feet and back away from the officer. Blackstock watched her go, fury unmistakable in his eyes. She had been so close… almost within grabbing distance, and this scruffy peasant had interfered.

"Get three horses," Li said in a low voice, when Sakura was near enough. "Set the rest free. Hurry. Go." She nodded and scurried back to the stables. Li hadn't taken his eyes off the colonel for a second. Tensely they regarded each other in the growing daylight.

"You just made the worst mistake of your life, boy."

"You don't know anything about my life," Li replied calmly.

"I know that it will be over very soon. I will not tolerate defiance against our king."

"I try not to pay attention to authority." Behind him, Li could hear the shouts of the girls as they chased the horses out of the stables. He knew they needed to hurry, but he wished they wouldn't be so noisy. They were bound to wake the other soldiers eventually, and he had no idea how many there were.

"You can't win, peasant. There are too many of us, my soldiers are all over the countryside. The princess will never escape."

"Not my concern." There was a slight sound from above, and Li raised his bow to shoot the soldier in the window before the man could release the arrow. He gave a choking gasp of death and fell forward, landing on the ground with a sickening crunch.

Blackstock was impressed by the young man's reflexes, but never mind that just now. He was all out of arrows.

"And now you'll pay for your defiance," he snarled as he drew his sword. Li gave a little sigh as he dropped his bow on the ground. He had put it off, resisting using it because of the questions that were sure to follow. But there was no delaying it anymore.

He reached under his shirt and pulled his pendant off, over his head. Blackstock halted mid-stride.

No, surely not – it couldn't be…

Li squeezed his fist tight and concentrated. Before the colonel's astonished eyes, the little trinket grew into a long sword. Sakura saw it as she mounted a horse, and felt her jaw drop. The scarlet tassel, the gilded hilt, it was all there. There was no mistaking that sword.

Smiling grimly, Li twirled the sword around once in his hand with practiced ease, then raised it in combat stance. Blackstock was staring at him, surprise written all over his hardened features. But he recovered quickly, and with a yell he leapt across the courtyard to do battle. Li blocked his slash expertly, angling the force of the blow to the space around him, then turned and slid right past him. He didn't want to lead the colonel into the courtyard, where the girls were. Instead he backed up to the inn's walls, parrying and striking, trying to relax and concentrate at the same time. This was his first swordfight in a long time, and this man was very good. The sun had now risen completely over the treetops, throwing its brilliant pink and orange light onto the flashing blades in the yard. The little girl, peeking out from under her shelter, was entranced by the motion and speed. She could barely follow the movement, they were so fast. Sakura and Tomoyo were awed too, as they stared at the dueling pair.

Li could feel the heat growing behind him, he knew they were getting close to the oven. He could see that the horses were ready to go, it was time to end this battle. Pushing down hard, he momentarily trapped the enemy blade beneath his on the ground. Before the colonel could react, he slid past him once again, jabbing him sharply in the ribs with his elbow. Then he delivered a powerful kick to his lower back, pushing him straight into the open flames of the oven.

Blackstock's scream of pain split the morning, and Li knew that their time was up. The sword returned to pendant form in his hand and he pulled it on over his head before ducking to grab his bow and then leaping lightly on the back of the third horse. The girls were still staring at him, wide-eyed.

"What are you looking at? Come on, move!" He kicked the horse sharply with his heels and prodded it into a gallop. They followed suit and soon they were on the road.

Blackstock extinguished the last of the flames by rolling in the dirt, and he ran to catch one of the horses. But it was too late. The princess was already out of sight over the top of the hill.

"Impossible," he snarled at his soldiers. They had woken to his yells and run out of the house, too late to catch up to the fleeing princess. "Impossible. We accounted for all of them. It just can't be!"

In his frustration he slashed at one of the stools with his sword. He sliced it cleanly in two.

The fugitives rode hard for twenty minutes, then slowed to a walk for another ten before Li called for a halt.

"Dismount," he directed the girls, "and step directly on the rocks of that dry creek." He pointed to a gravelly creekbed that ran alongside the road before leading into the woods. "Don't leave any tracks." They obeyed as he tied a length of rope between the halters of the three horses. It was a shame to have to give up transportation, but it couldn't be helped. The horses would be too easy to track, and traveling on the open road was out of the question. They were far too conspicuous.

Li slid off the mare's back and slapped her hard on the backside. "Go on! Git! Git!" Neighing apprehensively, she took off at a mild canter, the other two keeping pace. With any luck, their pursuers would follow their tracks for some distance before realizing they were now riderless.

"Come on. Into the shelter of the trees." He turned, but Sakura planted herself in his path.

"Wait. Who are you, Li? Where did you get that?" She indicated the pendant, partially concealed now by his shirt. "Commoners aren't even allowed to carry swords, and that… only the men of the King's Own carry swords like that. My brother has a sword like that. Where did you get it?"

Li's dark eyes flashed, and he gripped her arms in a sudden motion. She whimpered as he squeezed.

"I didn't steal it," he growled. "It's mine. You got that? I earned it." She was trembling with fear as he glared at her, his face so close that she could see the tiny little gold flecks in his eyes. His words had an edge of desperate pride to them, as if he was afraid she would think him nothing more than a common thief. But she wasn't so much concerned about where he'd gotten the sword but where he had learned to use it.

"Who are you?" she whispered again.

"Who am I?" His eyes bored into her, full of fury, and of wrongs that were beyond his power to express. "I'm nobody."

He pushed her aside and strode for the trees. After a moment, she and Tomoyo followed. What other choice was there?

- - - - - -

The courier had ridden hard and fast all day, and his horse stood in the palace yards, legs splayed, chest heaving. The courier himself was exhausted, but he stood straight in proper posture, his hands behind his back and his chin high. The General finished rereading the message and crumpled it in his hand.

"This is true?"

"I didn't see it myself, sir. But Colonel Blackstock seemed very sure."

"And there was just one?"

"Just one, sir."

"Dismissed." Gorrell spun on his heels, ignoring the salute the soldier gave him, and strode back inside the palace.

Impossible, he was thinking, in echo to the colonel's thoughts. Utterly impossible. Any that were not killed in the attack are in chains right now, in the dungeons. We counted very carefully. We even took care of the instructor. How can this be?

But Blackstock was not given to flights of imagination, and he wouldn't invent something this preposterous without good reason. That was what was on General Gorrell's mind as he turned down the corridor, his underlings scattering before him like startled sheep.

"Open it," he ordered the guard outside the cell. Touya heard the key turn in the lock and managed to scramble to his feet before the General came storming through the doorway.

"Who is he?"

"Who is who?"

"The fighter with your sister. Where did he come from?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." The General struck the prince hard across the face with the back of his hand, so hard that Touya almost hit the wall behind him.

"Don't play games with me, your highness, I'm not in the mood. Who is this man?" Touya braced himself against the wall, trying to get his breath back. Already there was a stinging pain running up and down the side of his face, and he felt dizzy. He was so weak these days... it was so hard to concentrate and focus...

"I don't know who you're talking about. What, did someone smack your boys around, General?"

Gorrell snarled a little and punched Touya solidly in the stomach, making him groan and double over.

"Don't push me, Touya. You don't want to know my limits." He grabbed the prisoner's shirt and pulled him into a standing position again before pressing him against the wall.

"Tell me!" Touya drew a ragged breath, and shook his head slightly to clear it.

"You're scared, aren't you?" he wheezed. "You're scared that somebody's actually fighting back." The General made no reply, but merely slammed him against the wall again, almost knocking Touya unconscious. Then he stepped away, a malicious glint of determination in his eye.

"Guard."

"Sir?"

"Hold the prisoner's food for a day." The cell was beginning to spin a little, and the General's smirk faded in and out of Touya's vision. He shook his head again, trying valiantly to stay alert, but it was a losing battle. His knees were giving out on him, and he slid back down to the floor. "We'll see how willing you are to discuss things by tomorrow evening, your highness."

"Go to hell."

Gorrell only grunted at that, then turned and left the cell. Touya squeezed the chains in his fists, trying to stay awake with the sharp pain. He couldn't black out now, he might never wake up.

You've got to stay strong, Touya, don't give in. Don't let him win. He won't win, not as long as Sakura gets away.

Shakily he got on his hands and knees, breathing shallowly as he struggled not to throw up.

Someone's helping her, someone that's got him scared. Thank god. As long as she's safe, he can't hurt me. All that matters is her.

Run, Sakura. Please… run as fast as you can.

- - - - - -

There was no question about sleeping in the open that night. The stars were brilliant and clear in a cloud-free sky, and there didn't seem to be any civilization for leagues. Sakura hugged her knees to her chest as she watched Li skin the rabbits by their fire. He knew how to make a fire with certain wood so that there was almost no smoke at all. It was a danger to have a fire going at night, he'd explained, but they had no choice. Not only did they need to cook, it was a deterrent to predators. The four-legged kind, anyway.

Quickly he skewered the two lean hares with a sharp stick and positioned it between two vertical posts over the flame. Sakura had always loved rabbits, and had never even considered eating one. She thought they were so adorable. But she was hungry, and the meat would probably taste very good.

People are awful. Including me.

She grinned wryly to herself and glanced around the clearing, at the dark and mysterious forest beyond their circle of light. They hadn't glimpsed the road once since leaving the horses, but they had been moving in a straight line and consistent direction all day. Before her, the half moon was rising over the treetops. Yes, they had definitely been moving east all day. She could recognize the star patterns in the sky now, the ones from her studies. Li had hardly spoken three words that day, but had led them through the forest with absolute confidence. He knew exactly where he was going; there was no doubt about it.

"You've been to Tomoeda before, haven't you?" she murmured. He glanced up, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "You never needed to ask for directions."

The hostile glare was reasserting itself, but she would not be put off anymore. She deserved to know the truth about who she was traveling with.

"Who are you, Li? How do you know how to fight so well? And how did you come by that sword?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Please. I'm not going to judge you, we just want to know. We owe you our lives, Li. I'm not going to hold anything you say against you." Those green eyes were wide with appeal as she stared at him across the fire. Tomoyo and Kero were staring at him too, curiosity evident in their features. Li sighed and turned the spit a little, roasting the hare evenly.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Give me a chance."

"My father built that cabin with his own two hands."

"What?" She was thrown by the sudden shift in topic, and he glared.

"Do you want to know or don't you?"

"Sorry. Go on."

"My father built that cabin in the valley with his own two hands. Actually, I think my mother might have helped too, but that's beside the point. He never had to buy any labor, nor could he afford to. But he always said it was important to have a home, and so he staked out the valley and built that cabin. I was born there, and I'd never seen more than what was between the valley and the village by the time I was seven. It was hard, a tough life living out in the wild like that, but he was good at it."

Li's eyes grew unfocused as he spoke, gazing into the past. His back had stiffened a little at the first mention of his father, and there was a hint of pride in his voice.

"He was so proud of everything that he and my mother had worked for. He told me all the time that I should never feel sorry for myself that I was born a peasant, and poor. He said there was no point in being sorry, but to just get on with life and get over it. My father was very proud of what he'd accomplished."

He swallowed.

"Too proud. I will never forget the day it happened. I wish I could. But I know I won't. A troop of bandits rode into the valley, and followed the smoke to our cabin. It must have been obvious that we had nothing worth stealing, but they weren't out to steal. They just wanted to destroy. And then they saw my mother."

Sakura exchanged a nervous glance with Tomoyo.

"Li, I'm sorry…I didn't mean to - "

"But you did. And don't be sorry. You didn't do it. They saw her, the most beautiful woman in that part of the country, or so I'm told, and demanded that she service them. My father was furious. He told them to get off his land, and to leave his wife alone. He never even considered acceding to them, in order that we might survive. He tried to fight them, all five of them. He never even had a chance. Maybe if he'd had a sword, but then, commoners aren't allowed to carry swords. They killed him right in front of me and my mother. And then they took their turns with her, and smashed and broke anything that could be found in the cabin. They ignored me. I must have looked absolutely pitiful, crying and hugging the body of my father out on the grass. I was just a child, helpless and pathetic. When they were done, they just mounted and rode off. Never saw them again."

His voice was hard and bitter as he stared into the flames. He'd long forgotten about the rabbits, and Tomoyo reached up to turn the spit some more. It looked as though they were nearly done. Sakura was afraid to ask, but she had to.

"Your mother?"

"She survived. Mostly. The knowledge that my father was gone was what broke her, more than what the men had done to her. She'd always been a tough woman, you can't live in the forest any other way, but after that she just started to decline. Watching her, I knew that those men had killed her as much as they had killed my father. I hated seeing her like that, just as much as I had hated watching them murder him in front of me. I decided that I didn't like being helpless. I wanted to learn how to fight. If those men ever returned, I would be able to defend my home and my mother.

I had heard in the village, from the king's soldiers and other travelers, about the warriors of the palace. In particular, I was fascinated by the stories about the King's Own. Nobody could defeat them, people said, it was nearly impossible to kill them. The elite bodyguards of the royal family, they were trained from a very young age in all methods of combat. I was hooked. I knew that I wanted to do it."

The rabbits looked done. Tomoyo removed one from the fire and began to slice at it with Li's knife. She wasn't really sure how to cut it up, but there was no question of interrupting him to ask. She would just have to figure it out on her own.

"But of course, no peasant could ever dream of enrolling. Only the sons of nobility were welcome for such classes. But I wanted to do it. I needed to do it. I wouldn't let anything stand in my way of learning to fight. So I begged one of the servants at the nearby castle to help me. Lord Yoshiyuki of Terada, the noble's name was. He's dead now, and the village never saw much of him when he was alive. He was a scholar, absorbed in his parchments and scrolls. It was easy to sneak into his castle and nick his seal. My friend Rufus wrote the letter, posing as Terada, dictating that his son be trained in the school for the King's Own. He thought it was amusing how determined I was, and never dreamed I would actually go through with it. But I stamped the letter with the seal, and returned it, and told my mother of my plans.

She cried of course. She ordered me not to go, she begged me, she pleaded. She said I was the only reason for her to live. But I would not be put off of my plans. Give me that."

"What?" Tomoyo started as he grabbed the knife and the rabbit out of her hands.

"Like this. See?" In concise and rapid strokes he sliced off the haunches and gave one to each girl, then repeated the action with the second rabbit for himself and Kero.

"She watched me go that day, tears running down her cheeks. I didn't look back. I hiked to the village on a day that I knew a merchant's caravan was passing through, and I tagged along with them all the way to the capital. Tomoeda frightened me, of course. I was all alone, with no money, and I had never seen a place like the city. I was just a country boy. But I couldn't turn back. The memory of my father dogged me; his face was haunting me. I had to learn. So I marched into the palace and presented my letter. I can't believe I pulled it off, I really can't. They must have been suspicious, seeing how dusty and ragged my clothing was. But the seal was there, plain as day, and so I was accepted. At the age of eight, I began my training with the other nobles' sons."

A grim smiled tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"I was good at it. I liked it. Master Wei said I was well suited to the fighting arts, that I had a feel for it. Such a surprise, considering my academic father. I brushed off those comments with a wave and light laugh. It was much easier to hide than I thought it would be. All students wore uniforms, and we ate in the palace kitchens. The day was spent with all manners of classes, both weapons and physical combat. It never occurred to anybody that I wasn't one of them. I was just an ordinary student, best in my class, but still just a student. Sometimes we had permission to wander the city for fun. That was hard. I never had the money that my friends did for buying things. But I said that my father was very strict, and didn't believe in giving me an allowance. They teased me, but they believed me. I got along well. When classes ended for a month in mid-summer, I was actually sorry to have to go. Already the palace felt more like home than my own cabin ever had. But I trudged the long road home, back to the valley. The look on my mother's face when I came walking into the clearing…"

He shook his head.

"I was seized with guilt when I realized how much she'd missed me. She cried and cried that day. She was so happy to have me back, even if it was for just two weeks. She wanted me to stay, she told me that I was good enough at that point to defend myself against anyone that ever attacked us. After a year of intensive training, I probably was. But I knew that the next year would be the year we began to learn sword combat, and nothing could keep me away. So I turned a deaf ear to my mother's pleading, and hiked back to the capital near summer's end. That autumn we began training with the practice swords. I enjoyed that more than anything. It was tough, hard work, but I knew every drop of sweat I poured in practice meant I was closer to my goal. Not everyone was as motivated as I was; already students were beginning to drop out. The training for the King's Own is the toughest in the land, Master Wei said that not everyone would succeed. Those that left enrolled in training for the regular army soldiers. But not me. I was loving it. And when I completed the first round of swordsmanship, I was awarded my magical sword. The ones only distributed to the King's Own."

Dreamily he fingered the pendant under his rough cotton shirt.

"Technically they belong to the palace, but the student carries it every day after it's awarded to him. It feels as though it's his. It was even harder to leave that summer than the one before it."

He paused to tear at the meat in his hands with his teeth. He'd never told anyone this story, and he couldn't believe he was telling it now. Why on earth was he opening up to these strange girls? But in a way, it felt nice. It felt good to lay it all out before someone else. The story was begging to be told.

"And so it went, year after year. More and more students dropped out, the class size grew to be very small. I was thriving, enjoying every minute of it. Nobody treated me like I was anything less than them. The other students looked up to me, asked me for help with their technique. Even the royal bodyguards themselves, the men of the King's Own, stopped by during practice to watch me. Every summer it grew harder and harder to leave and come back to see my mother. I didn't want to see how much she'd aged over the years, while I was growing stronger and more fit. I didn't want to see how depressed she was living alone, without me. I knew what she wanted, but I couldn't. I just couldn't leave the training. I loved it so much. And at fifteen, I knew I was coming close to the end. What to do? I'd always promised my mother that when I completed the training, I would return home to live with her, and protect her. But deep down, I didn't want to. The palace was my home, and I was expected to join the King's Own upon graduation. I fantasized about becoming a bodyguard for the king, and maybe even training the incoming students as well. I was important in the palace. I mattered. I didn't want to leave that."

Sakura was leaning forward, entranced. "What happened?"

"A disaster, disguised as a blessing. In the spring of my sixteenth year, one of the royal bodyguards fell sick. Master Wei suggested that as top student, I should be allowed to accompany the troop in the spring parade. The captain agreed, and I was assigned to the left flank of the king's horse. I was thrilled beyond words. I couldn't believe that all this was happening to me, a commoner. The day of the parade was beautiful, a pure blue sky and flowers blooming everywhere. The crowd was in high spirits as they lined the streets, waving and shouting to the royal family."

He paused thoughtfully.

"You were some distance directly behind me, I think. I was so focused on your father, I'm not really sure. He was very kind, waving and smiling at the people. And he talked to me. He told me he always liked to chat with his bodyguards on these long parades; it was so interesting to converse with us. I was having the best day of my life. And then it happened."

He ceased talking again to demolish the rest of his meal. His audience was afraid to breathe; they were hanging onto his words with fascination.

"Some lunatic attacked us. I don't know who he was or where he came from, but he'd got it into his head to come tearing out of the crowd and slashing a knife."

Sakura gaped. She remembered this parade now – how could she not? It had only been the previous year!

"He never had a chance, of course. But it figures that he would make a beeline for the left side of the king. I should have just hung back. I was only a student, and nobody would have thought the less of me if the bodyguards had confronted him first. But the training had shaped me over the years; I reacted without even thinking. I caught his arm mid-swing and threw him over my shoulder. I pinned him to the ground and disarmed him, and then the others hauled him to his feet and he was arrested. I was a hero. They all congratulated me on how well I did, heaping praise at my feet. The king himself shook my hand and thanked me. That night the entire guard took me out to celebrate and bought me anything I wanted for dinner. I loved it. I was stupid. I should have seen where this was going. But it had been so long, and I had hidden myself so well for so many years… I'd gotten careless. Master Wei wrote a letter praising me and thanking me for the service I had rendered my king, and had it delivered to Lord Terada's castle."

Sakura gave a horrified gasp, so caught up was she in the story.

"Oh no," she whispered.

"That's what I said when Master Wei called me to his quarters and asked me to explain the meaning of Lord Terada's rather puzzled response that he had never had a son, and in fact had never married. I couldn't think of anything, I was frozen with shock. The whole story came tumbling out. He was my teacher, my sensei, he'd practically been my father for so many years. I thought he might understand, that he might forgive me. And I think he wanted to. I know I was his favorite student. But now others were involved, and it just couldn't go on. I was in danger of being imprisoned for fraud, and impersonation. Not to mention wielding a sword as a commoner. Never mind that I had saved the king's life. Never mind that I had performed perfectly in all my classes for so many years, and that I stood to make an excellent bodyguard. None of that mattered, now that people knew I was a peasant. Wei suggested that I go, and quickly. I thought the king himself might have intervened, at least as a thank you for saving his life. But he didn't do anything. Nobody cared about me at all, now that they knew the truth." He directed a bitter glare at Sakura, who cringed.

"I barely got out in time. I slipped out of the palace that night, before they'd had a chance to come around and arrest me. I took only what was mine. You can say that I shouldn't have taken the sword. But after all they'd taken from me, I felt justified in keeping it. I earned it."

Sakura nodded quickly in agreement.

"And then there was nothing else to do but go home. This time it was forever. I knew that I could never return to the capital. There was nothing left for me there now. The training had been my whole life, and I had been expelled just a few weeks before my graduation. It was hard not to be bitter about that, on my way home." He gave a short, harsh, laugh. "I'd say I failed at that. I was bitter. I burned with hatred for those that had put me in this position. It wasn't fair. I just knew it wasn't fair, but it didn't matter. The only thing that cheered me was that I would be able to tell my mother that I was home for good, and that I had succeeded in learning how to defend her against criminals. I had fulfilled my promise. You can imagine what a nasty shock it was to arrive home and discover she had been dead for weeks."

Sakura clapped a hand over her mouth.

"She just got worn down. It was too much, living on her own and trying to survive. If I'd been there to hunt and gather for her, she probably would have been fine. But I didn't want to see that. I'd been closing my eyes to her weakness all those summers, wanting to pretend that she was fine and could get along without me. But it wasn't the truth. I'd left her, and she had finally just given up, sure that I would never come back after graduation. Rufus had buried her; she'd been staying in one of his rooms for the last few weeks of her life. He did all he could, but medicine and food weren't going to help. She didn't want to go on. She'd lost her husband, and she was sure she'd lost her son. She wanted to die. And so just like that, I'd lost another parent. This time it was because I did know how to fight, rather than the other way around. Strange, isn't it?"

The story was over, as abruptly as it began. Sakura still had her hand over her mouth, fighting nausea. No wonder… no wonder he hated royalty. She would feel the same way.

"That was just last spring," she said softly. "I remember that parade. I didn't see you, my horse reared in all the confusion and I was thrown. My brother reached out and grabbed me just in time. I never imagined that it was just a student that saved my father. Li, I swear to you that he never knew about your problem. He would have helped. He's very kind, and he always said that every person is important, no matter what their status."

"I don't believe you."

"I swear it," she pleaded. She felt obligated to defend herself against those accusing brown eyes. "He never mentioned anything to us, my brother never said anything. None of us were told what happened."

"How do you know?"

"I don't." She swallowed. "My father's dead, I know that. But I promise you he didn't know what they did to you. He would have never allowed such cruelty."

"You're telling me that the king himself had no idea what was happening in his own palace?" His tone was rich with disbelief, but she nodded anyway.

"My father wasn't omniscient, he wasn't an all-powerful ruler. Surely this coup demonstrates that. He tried very hard, but he couldn't know everything. There was just no way. Li, I swear he didn't know…" Hesitantly she reached out and touched his arm, but he pulled away as if he'd been burned.

"Don't. Just don't. It doesn't matter anymore, understand? It's all over with; I've been exiled, and that's that. All I wanted to do when I resettled into the cabin was to be left alone. I thought I'd earned that much, at least. But now royalty has intruded once more in my life, turning everything upside down and taking away all that I had. I did not ask for this. Saving your family hasn't brought me anything except misery." He stood and walked away from the fire, the tense set of his shoulders obvious even in the dim light.

"Wait," Sakura begged, and stood to follow him.

"Sakura, no." Tomoyo reached for her hand and pulled her back down onto the ground. "I wouldn't. He needs to be alone right now."

Tears were sliding down Sakura's cheeks as she stared at her friends. "My father didn't know it, I'm sure."

"I know, Sakura. But Li doesn't. This is probably the first time he's ever told this story, it brought up a lot of unpleasant memories. Give him time to adjust."

The girls glanced at the dark forest. Already Li was out of sight.

"What if he doesn't come back? He could just decide to walk away, go back home and leave us out here. We can't do anything about it."

"He'll come back."

"How do you know? I wouldn't. I can see why he hates me now."

"He doesn't hate you, Sakura. He hates the injustice. And he will come back. I promise." Tomoyo had seen it in his eyes. He was a man of honor, in spite of the years of lying to his teachers. He would not leave them to die in the fields. "It's been a long day. Why don't you go to sleep? I'll keep watch until he comes back."

Sakura shook her head. "I want to stay up. I want to talk to him."

"But I don't think he's quite ready to talk to you. Go to bed." There was a mild tone of authority in Tomoyo's voice, in spite of Sakura's status, and they both smiled. Tomoyo had always been the more sensible of the two.

"All right. I'm going. But I'm not going to sleep anytime soon." She crawled into the tent, which was really nothing more than a large hide anchored to the ground with rocks. A thick branch had been sharpened and driven into the ground to keep one end raised above the ground.

"Go to sleep, Sakura. It's going to be another long day tomorrow. I'll sing a lullaby."

It won't help, Sakura thought rebelliously, but she lay her head down in the crook of her arm and closed her eyes. Nobody sang more beautifully than Tomoyo did, and soon the clearing was filled with her sweet, dulcet voice as she sang a slow and drowsy song. Li, pacing through the trees, heard it and slowed.

He remembered that voice. Many years earlier, when he had performed his drills to less than Master Wei's satisfaction. The punishment had been to scrub the palace floors on the third level, in between the balconies and the living quarters. It would have been horribly boring to do all that scrubbing on his hands and knees, but a girl singing on one of the balconies above him had kept him company. It had been a much happier, much more sprightly song that she had sung that day, but there was no mistaking that voice.

I suppose it was her. I wonder if she was cleaning that day, too.

He leaned heavily against a tree and gazed moodily at the stars, wondering if his mother and father could see him. There wasn't anything he could have done for his father; he'd accepted that and moved on. But his mother…

It was my fault, Mother. I killed you. And the guilt tears me apart every day. I'm so sorry. So sorry. I was only trying to make something of myself. I thought I was doing the right thing. It was a mistake, and I'm repeating it. Helping the princess is only going to bring ruin upon me, I'm sure of it. But I can't walk away from that singing. They're just two innocent girls, it's not their fault. Her parents were killed too. As much as I hated her father, I know she grieves for him.

I hate this.

He knelt underneath the stars and rested his forehead on his knee.

I hate all of this. When will the pain ever stop?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	5. ch4 the lessons

**Chapter 4**

'**the lessons'**

Her bed felt so much harder than usual. Sakura stirred and opened her eyes, drowsily taking in the scene of the clearing. At every waking she was forced to remember it all over again. She was not in her bed back in the palace suites; she would probably never see that bed again.

Beside her on the grass, Tomoyo and Kero were both curled up and sleeping. Raising her head, Sakura could see that there was no one by the fire. Had Li decided to walk away after all? Would he really do that?

She crawled through the opening of the tent and stood to stretch. First reaching up to the morning sky, then doubled over to place her hands on the grass. When she straightened, Li was by the treeline, watching her.

His gaze was so intense, and she flushed. Should she say anything? What was she supposed to say? Good morning?

"Um, hi."

"Hi," he said shortly, and crossed the clearing in long strides. He dumped a few fish on a flat rock and knelt to blow on their banked fire. Sakura noticed that his hair was wet, and that his skin was pink and glowing.

"Is there, um, a place to wash up near here?" He didn't look up, but raised his arm to point.

"Straight through those trees."

He was slicing at the fish with his knife now, splitting them open lengthwise. There hadn't been a mark on them before that, and she wondered if he'd caught them with his bare hands.

"Thank you," she said softly, and turned to go. Li watched her shoulders slump a little as she walked away, and felt a touch of guilt. It couldn't go on like this, no matter what her father had done.

"Wait."

"Yes?"

"Here." He snatched a few roots that he'd dug up earlier, lying by the fire. "Take this."

"What is it?"

"It's soaproot." He pressed them into her hands without quite meeting her eyes. "Pound them between two rocks and you'll get a sudsy lather. It's not like the soap you're used to, I'm sure, but you'll manage."

"Oh." She'd never heard of such a plant, but she was intrigued. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He returned his attention to the fish, signaling the end of the conversation. Taking his meaning literally, Sakura backed away silently and left the clearing.

He's hurting, I'm sure of it. And I know he doesn't believe me about my father. But he's not going to walk out on me, at least. Thank the gods for that.

She'd only been walking for a few minutes when she heard the creek in front of her. It had been so long since she'd been able to get really clean, and happily she surveyed the clear water running over stones. There were some traces of white foam on a rock with a shallow basin shape to it, where Li had doubtlessly performed his ablutions. Hesitantly she picked up a round stone and began to pound at the roots, leaving some for Tomoyo. Sure enough, a sudsy lather emerged, a substance that felt and smelled a little like the lye soap she was used to, if slightly more abrasive.

Wow. That's amazing. I can't believe I never even heard of this.

Enthusiastically she stripped off her clothing and jumped in the water. The cold made her gasp, but it felt so good to rinse off all the travel grime. Luxuriating in the feel of the water, Sakura rubbed her body with as much of the foam as she could extract from the roots, scrubbing her scalp viciously. It felt wonderful, but she found herself blushing again as she climbed out and sat on a boulder to dry. She was picturing Li here, bathing too, and wondering how he looked when he –

No. Don't think about that. You can't let yourself be distracted by such improper things, you've got other things to worry about. Like how you're going to get inside the palace and find the Cards. Extremely tricky things to figure out. You definitely do not have time to be thinking about… that…

By the time she'd dried off enough to pull on her clothes, filthy and repellant though they were, Li had finished cooking breakfast. Wordlessly he handed her a blackened and peeling fish skewered on a sharp stick when she returned to the clearing.

"Thank you." She really wasn't sure how to eat it, but she watched him peel off the skin and tear off strips with his teeth.

"Tomoyo? Tomoyo, it's time to wake up." She knelt by the tent to shake her friend awake. "Come on, Kero, you too. Breakfast is ready."

"This can't go on," Li muttered, staring at his fish.

"What can't?" Tomoyo's eyes fluttered open, and she yawned and stretched.

"This diet. Too much meat and fish. On a diet of pure proteins we'll slowly starve. But it's so early in the season; there's just not much that is ready to eat." Frustrated, he glared at the flowering trees around them. Sakura thought they looked beautiful, but he was right. There was definitely nothing edible there.

"I wish I knew more about finding food," she murmured. "I'd like to help."

"Do you just wish?"

"Hmm?"

Li was staring at her from across the fire, his expression unreadable. "Or do you really want to know?"

"Uh, I really want to know." She lifted her chin a little in response to his challenge. "Show me. I really want to know how."

"Okay. Pay attention." And as they ate, he pointed to every plant in the clearing, reciting what it was and what it could be used for, either nutritionally or medicinally, and when it was in season. Sakura absorbed as much as she could, repeating everything back to him, trying to remember it all. She watched him fold up the tent and scatter the rocks he'd used to anchor it, and she watched him bury the bones from their fish and douse and bury the fire, until it seemed as though no one had ever been to the clearing at all.

When Tomoyo returned from the creek after her bath, he was showing her how to walk through the underbrush without leaving broken branches. Tomoyo had to smile at Sakura's little pout of concentration. She was trying so hard, so desperate to be helpful. And Li was not the most patient of teachers.

But at least it's something to distract her, and keep her mind off the grief.

She exchanged a knowing look with Kero and fell in with the pair. She would have to learn too, after all.

- - - - - - -

The General paced slowly down the row of cells in the dungeon. He'd counted twice; there was no mistaking. Any man of the King's Own that had not been killed in the attack was right there in front of him, in chains. He came to a stop outside the captain's cell.

"Good morning, Raoul."

"What do you want?"

"Just to chat. I'm having a bit of a problem, and I thought maybe you could help me out."

"Traitor."

"Now, now, captain. I just want to have a civil discussion, ask you a few questions." Captain Blacken glared sullenly at him from his position on the floor.

"I don't have anything to say to you."

"We'll see about that."

- - - - - - - -

Li paused to crouch and slice a mushroom neatly off its stalk with his knife. He held it up for Sakura's inspection.

"Can we eat this?"

"Umm…" Sakura bit her lip as she stared hard at the little fungus. "Y...es?"

Li blew his bangs out his face and rolled his eyes. "You've just killed us. Congratulations. Look, I told you, these ribs on the underside are too far apart. Poisonous, see?"

"I see," Sakura huffed. "But it's really hard to tell when I don't have the right mushroom to compare it to!"

"Tough. You have to do it anyway." He tossed the mushroom over his shoulder and continued on his way. Sakura gave Tomoyo an exasperated look and followed.

"I am trying, you know. But there's a lot of information you're throwing at me."

"You said you wanted to learn."

"I do. But you could try to be a little more patient."

"You can't eat patience for dinner."

"Well, excuse me. It's not my fault that I grew up in the palace. My mother grew flowers in our gardens. What am I supposed to do?"

"Learn. Adapt."

"Well, I'm doing the best I can," she snapped. "I've got a lot on my mind, you know. Like- like wondering how I'm going to get inside the palace and to my Cards so I can deal with the General. Someone has to take him out of power."

"Why?"

"What?" She halted in surprise.

He turned around to give her a searching look. "I said, why?"

"Why does he have to be taken out of power?"

"Yes."

"Because he's a terrible man. He's hurting people."

"He's hurting your brother. Doesn't make him a bad ruler."

"Um…" Sakura felt a little lost as Li's eyes bored into her, full of challenge. Tomoyo and Kero were watching her too, waiting to see what she said. What exactly did make the General a worse leader than her father?

"The soldiers. That's why he can't be allowed to lead."

Li crossed his arms. "What do you mean?"

"Well, my father always said that the royal family and the army were servants of the people, and not the other way around. He insisted that the soldiers hold themselves to the standards of lawfulness that we applied to everybody. They were never allowed to take things, or threaten people without just cause." She had heard this lecture from her father many times over her life, and she was starting to warm to the topic.

"Under the law, no soldier could enter a home without a warrant for arrest. A man accused of a crime had to have a chance to defend himself to his village before the army could mete out any punishment. And unlike his ancestors, my father refused to use his power to persecute those who disagreed with him. He always said that it was the mark of a strong ruler if he could convince and persuade people, rather than force him to do his bidding. Nikolai Gorrell is allowing his soldiers to run amok in the countryside. You've seen them, how they're taking things without paying for them and bullying and threatening my people. That's why he has to be stopped."

She lifted her chin and gave him a triumphant look.

"Convincing," Li said mildly. "But not totally true." He turned and started walking again. Sakura hurried to keep pace with him, Tomoyo tailing them both.

"What are you talking about?"

"You think the soldiers held themselves to the law of the land? Do you know it? Are you sure?"

"Well, I - "

"Some did. A lot didn't. You and your father weren't out supervising them in the villages; I'm sure I would have noticed you in Brookside. So how do you _know_ they were following the rules?"

He glanced over to her, and she melted a little under his hard gaze. "I don't."

"Didn't think so." He was walking faster, Sakura was pushing herself to keep up with him.

"But- be reasonable! It's impossible to supervise every soldier in every village in all the kingdom! How could we?"

"You don't. This does." Li tapped the pendant under his shirt. "The rules your father set for the soldiers are just words. Words never scared no one. But a blade, that gets respect. Soldiers in a town full of commoners with swords would obey your father's rules."

"But, everyone with a sword?" Sakura panted. "That's so dangerous! So many people could hurt others!"

"Right. Because your general's soldiers haven't been hurting anyone."

"Er…" Once again Sakura was stumped. He grunted when she could offer no reply.

"How dare you, princess. You grew up in a home that was defended from dungeon to tower with well-armed, well-trained fighters. What about my father's castle? Why was he denied the right to carry a sword to defend it? Isn't it just as important as yours?"

She was almost jogging to keep up with his long strides, he was going so fast.

"But you said bandits attacked your home. Not soldiers."

"Not much difference these days."

"But they were vagrants. They shouldn't have, um, they shouldn't have attacked the cabin." She felt stupid saying it, and flushed when he gave a contemptuous snort. "I mean, the soldiers should have defended your family and your home."

"Sure. Hours away from the nearest village, why didn't my father think of running for help? Silly him."

He stopped, so suddenly that she almost crashed into him. Crouching, he sliced another mushroom off its stalk and held it out.

"Can we eat this?"

"Uh…" Sakura felt thrown off by the sudden change in conversation, and she stared hard at the ribs on the underside. "No."

Li groaned and popped it in his mouth.

"Think hard, your highness. Think very hard about the laws under your father, and how 'just' they were." He turned and began walking again, leaving her disconcerted and confused.

- - - - - -

"He's about your height, or so I'm told, with brown hair and brown eyes. Is this ringing a bell?"

"You just described half the men of the kingdom," Raoul gritted. Gorrell struck him across the face again, drawing a spurt of blood from the captain's nose.

"Fairly young, the colonel says. Perhaps about the same age as the princess herself. And very, very well trained in the fighting techniques of the sword."

"Why don't you talk to the instructor? Oh, that's right, you killed him. Traitor."

"I'm only doing what has to be done. I can't expect everyone to understand how necessary this is for the good of the kingdom."

"I wouldn't expect it anytime soon, no." Gorrell turned away from his prisoner to face the rest of the guard, chained to the wall and watching helplessly as their captain faced torture.

"Anyone here ready to speak up? One of you must know who this man is. Just give me something, and I'll stop. You don't want to see him take any more of this, do you?" They all glowered at him, and he grinned. He hadn't really been in the mood to stop hitting, anyway.

He jerked backwards and his elbow jabbed into the captain's ribs. Raoul Blacken groaned and coughed up some blood, but his glare wasn't weakening just yet.

"You're wasting your time, General. I don't know who this man is. Nobody does. Your precious colonel is mistaken."

"You don't mistake a thing like that sword, captain. This man is from your squad, and I want to know who he is. I won't stop when you're dead. I'll just move on to the next man, and then the next, and then the next. I'll kill your whole damn company if I have to!"

"Bring it on," Raoul spat, and the General raised his fist.

"Wait." Both of them turned to see one of the company straightening, pulling at his chains to sit forward. "Stop."

"Yes?"

"I don't know anything…"

"Stand down, Jackson," the captain ordered, but the General was intrigued. He stepped away from Blacken to crouch thoughtfully in front of the prisoner.

"Sorry, cap, but I'm not going to watch you die." His subordinate should not have spoken up, but he was no coward and glared coolly at the general. "It's just a rumor."

"Please, go ahead. I'm interested in rumors."

"The boy last year… the student that saved the king from the attacker in the spring parade." The General had been at that parade, though further back from the royal family. He hadn't witnessed the incident himself.

"What about him?"

"He disappeared a few weeks later. Nobody ever saw him again." The General's pulse quickened.

"Who was he? What family was he from?"

Jackson shook his head. "That was the rumor. There was no family. Supposedly, he was a commoner who paraded as a noble."

Raoul and Gorrell both frowned. He remembered that incident too, now, that promising young student that he had so looked forward to adding to the guard once he graduated. He'd never realized what happened to him. But if he was free… and if he was truly aiding the princess and thwarting the traitor, then they had a duty to protect him as if he was one of their own. Noble or not.

"A peasant pretending above his class," Gorrell echoed in disbelief. "Some people just don't know their place in life. And now this little upstart wants to come between me and what's mine? Tell me his name."

Raoul held his breath, but Jackson was no fool. Casually he shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't remember."

"Are you sure?" Lazily the General drew his knife and pressed the point into his neck.

"Nobody knows it, General," Raoul snapped. "You poisoned Wei like the coward you are, and the men from that class were on duty when you attacked. There's no record of him now, and you have only yourself to blame." Gorrell tapped the knife thoughtfully on Jackson's chin before nodding and standing up to face Blacken.

"Doesn't matter, captain. I know enough. He's only one man, and, as we all know here, the men of the King's Own are not so immortal as some people think. I don't care who I have to go through to get my hands on that girl, I don't care who trained him and what kind of weapons he carries. I won't let anyone stand in my way." He turned on his heels and left the dungeon.

- - - - - -

"Okay," Sakura admitted. "It wasn't perfect. No system of government is. My father tried very hard, you know. He wanted to change things, erode class distinctions. It was his mission to spread education to the far corners of the kingdom, until every person from peasant on up could read and write. He loved to read, and history was his passion. He wanted everybody to be educated."

Li glanced up at the evening sky. It was getting dark, they should make camp. In the dark it was too easy to leave a trail that would be highly visible the next day. He began to pull the folded tent off of Sakura's back.

"So the people of the kingdom could read poetry to bandits that were attacking them?"

"It was a start. People that can read and write can better themselves, and make their wishes known to their ruler."

"Or, the ruler can just leave them the hell alone and let them take care of their own business. With swords to protect themselves."

"Li, it's been a law for hundreds of years that no commoner may- "

"And for hundreds of years, we've died because of it." Sakura clammed up when he shot a scathing glare her way. "And I think, your highness, that you're pretty damned grateful I broke that law. Or would you rather be on your way to the palace right now?"

"No," she mumbled.

"Thought so." Li spread out their tent and pointed to Tomoyo. "You. Get some rocks for the edge."

"Don't order her around like that."

"I thought we all knew that I was in charge of this little company. Certainly neither of you know what you're doing." He started scouting for firewood in the underbrush. He could break off branches from the tree if he had to, but that was a last resort. Broken branches left a trail.

"It's okay, Sakura," Tomoyo said placidly. She knelt to pick up a heavy stone. "It doesn't bother me."

"Well, it should bother you."

"Why?" Li gritted, as he hefted a thick, heavy stick. It would burn slowly, but thoroughly. "Afraid that somebody else can order your maid around besides you?"

"Huh?" Sakura gave him a puzzled look, then her expression cleared. "Oh. Tomoyo isn't my maid."

"What?" Li looked so surprised that she giggled.

"Can you imagine, Tomoyo? My very own personal maid?" Both girls were smiling now, and Kero was chuckling. Li felt a little lost.

"Tomoyo is my aide, my personal assistant," Sakura explained. "We grew up together; she's the one that keeps track of all the names and faces that I'm supposed to know at royal functions, but I never do. She usually dresses me for public occasions, too, she always knows exactly what's appropriate." She glanced warmly at her friend. "She even designed some of the dresses in my closet. She's amazing."

"Oh." Li knelt and began to arrange the wood he'd gathered. "Pay attention now. There's a certain way you construct a fire before you strike the first spark." Sakura sat beside him on the grass and concentrated. "Why is the thought of a maid so amusing?"

"My father would have never allowed one," she answered. "He always said it was important for a ruler to understand that they have to clean up their own messes. My brother and I have been responsible for keeping our palace bedrooms neat and clean for as long as I can remember. I don't think a maid cleaned my parents' suite either."

Li arranged the kindling on top of the larger branches and frowned thoughtfully. Somehow, this revelation unsettled him. It wasn't what he would have expected of royalty.  
"Watch carefully." He struck the flint against his pyrite, and a spark flew out. "That's how it all begins. Now you try." Clumsily she banged the rocks together, and nothing happened.

"What did I do wrong?"

"There's a certain angle that it works best. Here." He placed his hands over hers and guided them in the right motion. His hands were rough and callused, but oddly gentle as they covered hers and demonstrated the motion over and over again. She swallowed. "Got it?"

"I think so." He let go and she struck it again, producing a lucky spark that flew onto the tinder. Quickly Li knelt and blew softly on it. The glow brightened, then dimmed as he pulled away.

"Now is the tricky stage. Now you have to give it just the right amount of oxygen. Lean down and blow on it, but softly." She leaned forward obediently and blew very softly on it. Once again it brightened. "Now pull away. Okay, now blow again. Now pull away. Blow again." Over and over he instructed her as the tiny light flickered uncertainly. She was beginning to feel light-headed with all the pressure when all the tinder suddenly burst into flame.

"Okay, that's it. The flame's caught hold of the fuel, and now it will spread to the kindling, and then the big wood. That's what will burn slowly through the night."

Red-faced, she sat up and away from the fire. "Goodness, that's a lot of effort. You don't do that every night, do you?"

"No, at home I banked my fire in the morning, and uncovered it at night. Not an option while traveling, though."

The kindling was beginning to burn now. Sakura watched it proudly. She'd created fire dozens of times in her life with the snap of her fingers, but somehow this was more exciting. This time she'd done it all on her own, without any kind of magic at all. Well, almost on her own. She directed her smile at Li, who just looked away. Her smile faded.

None of this changes anything. He still hates my family for what happened to him. He's only leading us away from his home so he can go back there and start again. I'm sure he can't wait to unload us.

"We've started the fire," she said softly. "Now what?"

"Now we have to find something to cook with it." He picked up his bow and the quiver. "Do you think you're up to learning how to track prey?"

"Of course. Tomoyo, Kero, you can both just sit tight if you want. This will be easier with fewer people."

"Okay," they both replied, a little too carefully neutral. She narrowed her eyes at Tomoyo's face, but there was nothing behind that implacable calm.

"All right, then." Li shoved the waterbags into Sakura's hand. "You can fill these when we find some water. Stay behind me, keep absolutely silent, and if I tell you to freeze, then freeze. Got it?"

"I got it."

"Good. Let's go." They headed into the dusky forest.

- - - - - -

The room was dark and quiet, lit by dozens of scattered candles. Light incense tickled Gorrell's nose as he strode through the door. It was a room designed for meditation and introspection, a room totally unsuitable for the blustery impatience of the military.

"Where is she, old man? I grow tired of waiting."

"Your desire for instant gratification is your undoing." The withered old man seated on the floor gazed curiously into his crystals. "For years you patiently waited to overthrow the king and his family. At long last you have achieved your goal. Why such anxiety for one little girl?"

Gorrell paced on the hard marble floor. "Don't waste my time with pointless questions. Why haven't you been able to locate her?"

"Because she is becoming more clever. At long last she's realized the danger of wielding magic, both her and the Sun Guardian. They are keeping their powers to themselves now. My scrying finds nothing."

Those black eyes looked up from the crystals to focus on Nikolai's face. "The pulse of the world of magic does not throb in time to your military deadlines, General Gorrell. Have patience."

"Don't you tell me to have patience," the man snarled. "Nobody tells me what to do anymore, this is my kingdom. I rule. I control everything in this palace, and most of Hapeynia. You are alive because of me; you owe your existence to me. Don't tell me to have bloody patience!" His sudden burst of temper had no effect on the mage.

"I will say what I wish, and I will seek when I wish." He stood, his black robes hanging off his thin, warped shoulders. "I will accomplish nothing more tonight."

He glided past the General, paying no attention to the reddening face of the larger man. He longed to strike that man, kill him with a single blow. But he needed his power and his abilities.

Nikolai was a man of the tangible world. Force, and physical combat, he understood. The mysterious realms of magic left a sense of dread in his stomach, he was afraid to tread there. But he had seen what magic could accomplish, had seen how it could aid him. And so he left the old magician alive.

For now.

- - - - - -

Sakura knelt by Li and tried to see the bent blades of grass he was pointing to. In the deepening dusk, it was difficult to see anything at all.

"Why are we hunting when it's so difficult to see?"

"Because dusk is when the animals come out. They do that to avoid predators, because it's difficult for the predators to see."

"Oh." That seemed logical, but Sakura thought it made things extremely difficult for the hunters. She adjusted the waterbags hanging over her shoulder and squinted in the fading light. "Are those the droppings over there?"

"Very good." She glowed at the note of approval in his tone, but she couldn't get cocky yet. They hadn't even sighted their quarry yet, after all. Li was creeping over the ground now, silent as a zephyr of air. Sakura did her best to imitate him. After a moment, he raised his arm and pointed forward. She could just barely make out the outline of a crouching rabbit, trying to blend in with the bush. Li was raising the bow now, and she leaned forward to see how he aimed. But her legs were numb after so much crouching and crawling, and she lost her balance. The rabbit took flight as she crashed onto the earth, snapping several twigs.

Li made an exasperated noise, and she cringed.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"Don't be sorry, damn it, just - "

"I know, I know." She climbed unsteadily to her feet and glared at him. "Don't be sorry. Just be quiet. I'm doing the best I can!"

Li stood and was about to retort when a sound made him look up. Startled by all the sudden noise, a hawk took flight from a nearby tree and began climbing up into the sky. Instinctively he raised his bow and released the trigger. His aim was perfect, and the bird tumbled to the earth almost right in front of them.

"Excellent," he declared. "Never mind the rabbit. Sometimes you just get lucky." He drew his knife and dropped to his knees by the dead hawk. "Do you want to - "

His words died on his lips as he glanced up at her face. She was staring at the fallen bird, trembling, her eyes wide with horror.

"The wings," she whispered.

"What?"

"The wings… with the feathers… broken… dead…" She was beginning to hyperventilate, unable to tear her eyes away from the hawk. Its wings had gotten tangled in the fall, it was true, but Li couldn't see what the tragedy was. Her breath was coming out in ragged gasps now, and she was backing away from him.

"Hey, are you all right?"

"The wings! Dead! He's dead! He's dead! He's dead!" She put her hands to her head and began to scream frantically, over and over again.

"Hey, stop it! Calm down, already!" Li jumped to his feet and tried to reach for her hands, but she knocked him away. Her face was completely devoid of color now, eyes looking through him to someplace he couldn't see.

"He's dead! He's dead! He's dead!"

"Who's dead?" She was beginning to sob now, and Tomoyo came bursting through the bushes at the noise.

"Sakura!" She glared at Li. "What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything except shoot our dinner! I don't know what she's going on about."

"The wings," Sakura sobbed. "Oh, he's gone. How can he be dead?" She crumpled to the ground and began to shake with the force of her tears. Something clicked in Tomoyo's face, and she knelt by her princess, murmuring soothingly.

"Shhh… Sakura. You can't do this. He's gone now, and he wouldn't want you to cry like this."

Who on earth were they talking about?

Li backed away from the pair uncertainly.

"I can't live without him, Tomoyo!" Her face was red now, and streaked with tears. She pounded the earth in desperation. "I can't do it! I can't go on… it's too much!"

"Yes you can, Sakura. You're strong, and you can keep going. You can do this. He wouldn't want you to give up."

"I can't do it!"

"Yes, you can. I know you can. Your brother is hanging in the balance. You've got to be strong for him. You have to go back and get him, remember?"

Some of Tomoyo's words penetrated at last, and Sakura's sobs quieted. "I- I miss him so much…"

"I know you do. I do too. But you can't give up. Nikolai wins if you do that, and we all know that he wouldn't want that. He would want you to keep on fighting, and to rescue Touya, and to win. Isn't that right?" Sakura nodded, tears still trickling down her cheeks.

"Now come on. Let's get back to the camp. You're going to be okay, I promise." She pulled Sakura to her feet and moved to support her. "Time for you to lie down, I think."

Nonplussed, Li picked up the hawk and followed them back to the clearing. Kero was still there, keeping an eye on things, and his mouth fell open when he saw them emerge from the trees.

"What's happened?"

"Just a little bad memories cropping up," Tomoyo said softly. She guided Sakura into the tent and used a little water from the bags to rinse her face. "Shh… everything is going to be okay. You'll be fine. Just close your eyes, and think of nothing."

Li caught himself yawning, so persuasive was Tomoyo's low, sweet voice.

"Picture yourself in darkness, suspended in time and place. There is nothing but the soft darkness around you, enveloping you… blanketing you…" Sakura's choking sobs died away and she closed her red and puffy eyes. The pain was so unbearable. She just wanted to forget it, be absorbed into oblivion. Tomoyo waited until her breathing was deep and even before letting go of her hand.

"Stay with her, would you, Kero?"

"Sure thing." The little bear snuggled up to Sakura and Tomoyo crawled back to the fire, where Li was plucking feathers.

"What just happened?"

"Poor Sakura. She's been in mourning for her parents for two weeks, but she hadn't really allowed herself to think about his death just yet. She wasn't ready to open up that pain. I guess seeing that hawk die was what brought it on."

"Who?"

"Her guardian."

"But I thought Kero was - "

"There were two. Kero is the Sun Guardian. His partner, Yue, was the Moon Guardian. They were both destined to protect her and serve her as Mistress of the Cards."

"What's that got to do with a hawk, though?"

"Yue was a man, but he had wings too, like Kero. He was very powerful, commanded a lot of magic. Together the two of them protected Sakura, she had no need for human bodyguards." She swallowed. "He died holding off the attackers so that Kero could carry her out the window to safety. She loved him so much."

"She was in love with someone that wasn't human?"

"Not exactly. It's complicated." She paused as she watched him brace the naked and gutted bird over the flames. "Yue didn't possess his own body. He was inside a human being, an older boy named Yukito. Yukito was the Chosen One, the mortal vessel for Yue. He was always nearby, so Yue could watch over Sakura through his eyes. If the need arose, he would take over Yukito's body."

"You're right. It is complicated."

"Most people never saw Yue, they only saw Yukito, hanging about in the background. He was always around her, as long as I can remember. He was the same age as her brother, the prince, and they grew to be good friends when they underwent the training of the King's Own together. The four of us, and Kero, were all very close. But she wasn't supposed to love him."

She sighed heavily as Li turned the spit.

"Poor Sakura. She knew how wrong it was, her being a princess and him the mortal vessel of Yue. She wasn't supposed to fall in love with her own guardian. But she couldn't help it. She never even really paid attention to the nobles and visiting royalty that courted her. Yukito was all that she could think about."

Li stared into the fire. For some reason, this conversation was starting to bother him a little. Why on earth should he care about her dead bodyguard and whether she loved him or not?

"Did he love her back?"

Why had he asked that, of all things? He didn't care!

"I don't think so, no. She never got up the nerve to tell him how she felt. But I think he knew. I'm pretty good at reading people, like you said. He loved her very much like his little sister, was devoted to protecting her. But he didn't love her like that, I'm sure of it. And now he's gone. When Yue was killed, he died too. That's how it works."

Yukito had been a friend of hers too, and Tomoyo was starting to slide into a fit of depression. But she couldn't afford the luxury of that right now, she had to be there for Sakura.

Li was looking at the sleeping girl in their tent. "Will she be all right?"

"I think so. She knows she has to go on. She needed this release, though, she couldn't hold it in forever."

"Uh-huh." Li removed the hawk and sliced off a chunk of meat, handing it to the girl beside him. "You're pretty devoted to her, aren't you? You like to take care of her."

"She's my princess."

"You don't have to stick by her through all this, though."

"You're right. But I want to. She's my best friend." Tomoyo nibbled at her dinner. "I owe her and her mother everything, you know. If it wasn't for the queen, who knows where I would be."

"Where are your parents?"

She shrugged. "I don't know about my father. Nobody knows who he was, except maybe the queen, but she's dead now. My mother would never tell anyone who it was. She was a lady-in-waiting in the royal court, and it was quite the scandal. She was good friends with the queen, though, and her majesty would never hear a word against her. It was all too much, for my mother, though, knowing what everyone thought about it. The birth was very difficult for her and she died when I was just a few months old. Her majesty likes – liked – to tell me about her though. She promised my mother when she died that she would make sure I was all right. Not quite sure what else to do, she put me in the playpen with Sakura and raised the two of us together, like sisters. It was better that way, their majesties were always saying. They liked it that Sakura grew up with me, and that the prince was such good friends with Yukito. They didn't want their children growing up thinking that they were ever too good for anybody."

Li felt that flicker of surprise again. Everything he'd heard about the king and queen in the past couple days conflicted with his own experiences. But he wasn't ready to let go just yet, he couldn't shed his bitterness. His story was proof that class always interfered.

"Go to bed. I'll stay up."

"Will you wake me in a little while?"

"I'll think about it. Go on." There was a hard look in his eyes as he stared into the dying fire, and Tomoyo could imagine what he was thinking about.

"Very well. Good night." Carefully she crawled into the tent and curled up next to Sakura. Poor, sad Sakura. She had loved him so much. Would she ever heal from the pain?

It could take a long time. She glanced at the young man by the fire, one last time before closing her eyes and resting her head on the grass. He was stretching, preparing to run through his drills.

Then again, maybe it wouldn't.

- - - - - -

Eriol came to a halt and knelt on the grass. The moonlight cast a silver glow on the clearing and he could see well enough, despite the darkness. There was a fox there, digging madly, so intent on his task that he didn't even hear Ruby's hooves on the ground. Eriol almost had to shoo him away.

"Let's see what he was after, shall we?"

It had been a long day, and he yawned. Since yesterday afternoon, when the colonel had discovered the fugitives' trick with the horses, he'd dispersed his men to fan out over the countryside. Most of them went laterally out from the roads, but Eriol had retraced their path back down the lane, looking for any kind of clue. And upon seeing the dry and rocky creekbed, he decided to act on his instincts and follow it into the trees. He had no way of knowing when the princess and her friends dismounted, but this seemed like a logical place to do it, a place where they would leave no tracks.

It was tricky, trying to follow an almost non-existent trail through the forest, but he found himself rather enjoying the challenge. It was so much easier with none of those other idiots getting in his way.

"Hello, what do we have here?" He'd unearthed the bones of a few animals – at least two hares and maybe five or six fish. Meat still clung in some places and the smell had no doubt attracted the fox; these animals couldn't have been killed more than a day ago.

Anyone could have killed them, of course. But why would a peasant with nothing to hide bother to bury the bones? He smiled with satisfaction as he stood.

"We've found the trail again, Ruby," he announced. "But it's too dark to keep on like this. Time to make camp." She was already grazing, not paying any attention to him, but he felt like talking anyway. Eriol had been talking to her for so long, sometimes he felt as though she actually understood him. One of the dangers, he supposed, of spending more time with horses than people. But it couldn't be helped. People were such absolute morons; they were best avoided.

He pulled his tent off her back and began hunting for wood.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	6. ch5 the tracker

**Chapter 5**

'**the tracker'**

Light and feathery, the snow floated down around the palace, filling the air with thick white flakes. It lent a cozy atmosphere to the ballroom, even though it was filled to the brim. The Midwinter Ball was in full swing, and Touya sipped his wine moodily as he watched the nobles crowd around the princess.

"If you glare any harder, you might hurt one of them."

Touya scowled at Yukito. "Vultures. Look at them, clambering over one another to get her attention. Don't they know she's only fifteen?"

"It's just conversation, Touya. Nobody's talking about marriage yet. Relax, already."

Touya hmphed at that and threw back the rest of his wine.

"You know that watching her is supposed to be my job. Why don't you try to have some fun?"

"Not likely in this crowd." Touya was famous for his dislike of social occasions, despite being the most pursued bachelor in the kingdom. He was hiding from the ladies now as best he could, lurking in the shadowy corner by the orchestra.

"She sure looks nice tonight, doesn't she? That's one of Tomoyo's dresses, I think."

"Don't get me started. Does that girl have any concept of moderation?" Yukito chuckled.

Sakura was indeed radiant that night, glowing in a velvet scarlet dress with a low neckline and sleeves that were slit open from the elbow down. Tiny diamonds and rubies sparkled in her hair, catching the light from the crystal chandeliers above them. As usual, Tomoyo was just behind her shoulder, leaning forward and surreptitiously whispering the names in her ear of the men approaching.

"That neckline is ridiculous," Touya declared. "She's only fifteen! I can't believe how obvious they're all being about it, too. Doesn't she know what they're after?"

"No, and it's not likely anytime soon, seeing as how you're so determined to never allow her a moment alone with any of them."

"You'd better believe it. You and Kero may be the guardians, but I want each and every one of those degenerates to know that they'll have to go through me if they're going to take advantage of her."

"You really shouldn't fret about it so much. After all, she is royalty. Nobody would ever dream of doing anything improper."

"You never know," Touya said firmly, and Yukito had to admit he had a point there.

"Speaking of royalty, mother alert." Touya muttered an oath and dove behind one of the giant velvet drapes by the window. The queen came to a stop before Yukito, and he bowed.

"Good evening, your majesty. Your presence lights up the room." Nadeshiko smiled graciously. She reveled in these parties, and did indeed look wonderful. Her long tresses were interspersed with tiny braids, studded with emeralds to match her eyes. A stunning green silk dress hugged her upper body before flaring out in a full skirt that swept the floor. All around her, nobles and courtiers drew back in awe. The queen's beauty was legendary throughout the kingdom.

"Yukito, have you seen that no-account son of mine? I'm sure he's hiding here somewhere."

"I believe I saw him on the far side of the room, near the princess."

"Well, if you see him, tell him I want to talk to him. There's someone I want him to meet."

"Very well, your majesty." She nodded to his second bow, then turned and continued her way through the party, the crowd parting before her like mist before a burning candle. "You can come out now."

"Thanks. I owe you."

"Who did she want you to meet?"

"Who knows? Some flaky duchess, or something similar. And then I would have to dance with her." He shuddered. "These women are so incredibly boring, Yukito, you can't imagine it."

"I can. Some of them are friends with your sister, you'll remember."

"Oh, right. You do have to listen to that, don't you? Bloody torture if you ask me." Touya crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, once again glowering at the crowd around Sakura. Most of them were young men, as pitiful and eager as puppies as they endeavored to engage her in conversation. But some of them were disgustingly old, reaching forward and kissing her hand with a touch of lechery that made Touya almost smoke with fury. He did hate these parties. Between avoiding the ladies and trying to keep the pack off of Sakura, he was exhausted. He needed another drink.

Restlessly he scanned the ballroom, searching for another servant. His eyes were on the far corner of the room when he stiffened. That was the corner where the high-end officers in the military were congregating, talking amongst themselves like they always did. The commander-in-chief was looking, no, _staring_ right at his sister, those flat black eyes following her every move. Slowly, lovingly, he raised his goblet and sipped the contents, never breaking his gaze. Then, licking his lips in anticipation, he started for her.

- - - - - -

"On your feet!" the guard shouted, and kicked him sharply in the ribs, jarring him from his dream. Or was it a dream? In this dark cell, slipping in and out of sleep several times a day, it was hard to tell if he was awake and remembering, or asleep and dreaming. The days were sliding into one another; he wasn't really sure how many had passed since the night of the overthrow.

The swordtip was resting at the base of his neck now, daring him to make an untoward move, as another pair of hands unlocked the chains around his wrists. This was the moment of temptation, every day, when they unchained him and allowed him to bathe. It was no ordinary cell Touya was locked in, but a prison suite designed especially for political prisoners, apart from the main dungeons. Certainly his father had never used such a thing, but General Gorrell was obviously delighting in keeping the prince there for as long as was necessary.

Touya tried to focus his thoughts as they marched him into the washroom, the short chain that tethered his ankles clinking noisily over the flagged stones. Yes, this was the moment of temptation, when he was forced to undergo the degrading experience of trying to clean himself in front of an audience of three or four armed soldiers. The cell was a tight and confined space, and it would be him versus trained swordsmen when he couldn't even kick or run. Even at the peak of his fitness, it would be a close call. And Touya was not at the peak anymore, not after so many days of enforced leisure, unable to even pace the length of his cell. He would almost certainly die if he tried to escape.

He stripped off his shirt and splashed cold water onto his face. Death was not what he was afraid of, thus the temptation. He would rather die trying to escape than remain here in this prison for who knew how long. Rather, his fear centered around his sister. All day and night, he was consumed with fear that she might not escape the kingdom, that she might in fact be caught and brought back here to serve the General's vile needs. He couldn't bear the thought of her facing that alone, knowing that her entire family was gone and that there was no one left to help her. Touya knew that she could feel his presence in her mind, that she could sense whether he was alive or not. He needed to continue that, needed her to know that there was at least one member of her family surviving. And so he allowed himself to be chained to the wall again, like an animal, and for the guards to snicker at his seeming docility as they slammed out of his cell. He was alone once more with his thoughts, and he sent another message of love to her in his mind.

Keep going, Sakura. Don't give up. I'm still here for you… wherever you are.

- - - - - -

Sakura woke suddenly, a mysterious smile on her face. Why was she smiling? She wasn't quite sure, but there was a familiar presence in her mind, like a comforting hug from someone she knew and loved. It was a cozy feeling, and she crawled out of the tent feeling better than she had in a while. It wasn't until her mind cleared and she awoke fully that she remembered the events of the evening before. The bloody feathers were in a pile by the small fire.

She was still staring at them when Li walked into the clearing, and he hastily tried to scoop them up.

"I'll just go get rid of these," he offered. "I should have done it last night. I'm sorry." He blinked in surprise at his own words. Why had he just said that, of all things? He never said he was sorry.

It didn't seem to matter anyway. She hadn't given any indication that she'd heard him, still staring at the spot where they had been lying. He walked all the way to the creek and back to scatter them, and she was still there, still staring when he returned.

"Do you want to go wash up? I can dig up some of that soaproot, I saw some near the water…" She didn't look up. "In fact, I want to show you what they look like, you really should know how to identify them."

Still no response. He bit his lip and knelt in front of her, right in her path of vision.

"Sakura. Look at me." Something in her face stirred and clicked, and she focused on his face.

"That's the first time you've called me Sakura."

It was? Inexplicably, Li felt his cheeks flush a little as she looked into his eyes. "Does that bother you? Should I stick to 'your highness'?"

"No," she said quickly. "I prefer Sakura. It sounds nice when you say it."

"Oh." A moment passed, as they stared at one another in silence. "Um, did you want to wash up?"

"Yes," she said thoughtfully. "I would like to get clean."

I need to keep on, keep struggling. Tomoyo's right; I can't let myself be consumed by grief. I miss him, but my brother and the kingdom need me. I've got to keep on.

"Thank you."

"Come on. I'll show you how to identify soaproot."

Sakura was determined that day to not let herself think about Yukito. Instead she concentrated on naming every plant they walked past, every tree, every shrub that she saw. Most of the time she was wrong, but every so often she was right, and the grudging approval in Li's voice made it worthwhile. When she pointed out wild cabbage that he hadn't seen, and he knelt to pull its leaves, she thought she would burst with pride.

She was just starting to enjoy the challenge when the wild forest melted away. Surprised, she found herself looking at rows of neat, cultivated trees.

"What's this?"

"An orchard." Li looked a trifle surprised too. "I didn't think we would reach it this soon. You two have certainly gotten better at moving through the bush." It was an actual compliment, out of nowhere, and she exchanged a stunned look with Tomoyo. He didn't even seem aware of his own words, frowning thoughtfully at the afternoon sun. "It's too risky to try and cut through here during daylight. We should wait until the sun goes down. We're stuck here for the moment."

"Oh." Sakura felt a tiny bit disappointed. Her feet weren't even sore yet; she felt fit enough to go on for hours. Without realizing it, she'd become much more suited to the rigorous schedule of hiking these past few days. "These trees. They're cherry trees, aren't they?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"There's a few planted in the palace gardens." She held up her hands as a slight breeze blew, scattering pink petals over her like confetti. "My mother loves these blossoms. That what my name means, actually, Cherry Blossom. I forget what language it is, it's an ancient one that nobody speaks anymore. But my mother heard the word and liked it." She was holding her arms above her head, twirling gracefully as the flowers danced around her in the air. Li's gaze lingered on her smiling face, her eyes closed as she turned it up to the warmth of the sun.

Then he realized what he was doing and turned his head sharply, struggling to subdue his rapidly beating heart. What… what was he _doing_?

Tomoyo couldn't see his face, but she saw him clench his fists, then loosen them again as he took in a deep breath.

"Well," he growled. "As long as we're stuck here, I'm going to take the opportunity to run through all my drills." For some reason, he _really_ felt the need to exercise. "I assume you don't mind."

"Of course not."

"There's no creek near here, is there?" Tomoyo spoke up. Li shook his head. "Because I never got a chance to wash up this morning, we broke camp too quickly. Maybe I could go back to that river that we passed an hour ago. I'd really like to wash my hair." Wistfully she ran her fingers through her long dark hair. She also wanted to clear out of there.

"No," Li objected. "You can't go back that far alone. It's too dangerous. And you'll get lost."

"I remember the way, I was paying attention. And we haven't seen anybody for more than two days now. They're well off our trail. Please?" Those violet eyes widened a little and looked at him appealingly. Li was hesitant, but she had a point. There was probably no harm in it.

"Well… all right. But be quiet, understand? And don't leave any trails."

"I know," she assured him. "I'll be fine. Do you want to come, Kero?"

The little bear reclined on a branch against the trunk of a cherry tree and closed his eyes.

"Nah. I'm in the mood for a nice nap."

"All right," she acceded in a low voice. "But try to give them their privacy all right?"

"Privacy for what?"

"I don't know," she murmured. "But I can't wait to find out." Smiling enigmatically at his confusion, she turned and left the orchard.

Li took a swig from his waterbag and began to stretch. He'd been going rather hastily through his drills these past couple evenings, in the dark and after the girls had gone to sleep. It unsettled him, made him feel incomplete. In spite of the humiliating end to his stay in the palace, the training had been his whole life and he had practiced every evening since his expulsion, in the valley. A painful reminder, but fortunate nonetheless. At least he hadn't been out of shape when those soldiers first attacked.

Sakura watched him strip off his boots and shirt. His chest was exactly how she'd imagined it, muscular and tough, covered with old scars from his long years of training. Slowly he assumed a careful posture, then guided his arm into a slow-motion punch. He was facing her, but his eyes were unfocused, seeing into the past as he remembered his classes and instructions.

The muscles under his tanned skin rippled in preparation as he balanced on one leg, the breeze lifting his ragged bangs off his face. Then he exploded into a fury of kicks, snapping three of them out in quick succession, low, then medium, then as high as someone's head. Expertly he jumped and spun in mid-air, throwing another kick before landing lightly on the grass.

Sakura couldn't help herself; fascinated, she drifted a little closer. He was so powerful, so strong. She wanted to be like that. After taking a second to pull off her boots and fasten the ribbon in her hair more securely, she began to imitate his motions.

Li always fell into his drills; when he was going through the patterns, it was as if he was back in the palace, with Wei and his fellow students. It was a while before he noticed what she was doing, and he almost stopped. But then he saw how focused she was, how hard she was trying.

What the hell. Let her try, I guess it doesn't bother me.

He continued to kick and punch. Now that he was looking, it was almost amusing to watch her copy his movements. She lacked force and aggression, and instead seemed determined to turn his fighting drills into a dance. She was too feminine, really, mimicking his jumps and turns as though she were in the ballroom. It made him smile, but he didn't laugh out loud. Together the two of them moved through his entire repertoire of drills, under the rustling branches of the cherry orchard with petals flying around like snowflakes.

- - - - - -

The snowflakes were coming down a little faster. Without even stopping to think about it, Touya strode away from the window and crossed the ballroom in a matter of seconds, leaving Yukito a little confused at his sudden departure. There was a look about Gorrell's face that propelled him across the floor, a look that said that he was going to approach Sakura, perhaps ask her to dance. And that would absolutely not do.

"Sakura," he greeted his sister cheerfully, pushing one of her admirers slightly out of the way to take her hand.

"Touya, where have you been all evening? Mother was just here looking for you."

"Was she? Oh, well. Want to dance?"

"What?" He yanked her out of the crowd and onto the floor. There was no time for discussion; Gorrell had almost reached her. "Hey!"

"Hey, yourself," he said pleasantly.

"You can't just pull me around like that. Who do you think you are?"

"Crown prince Touya of the Kinomoto bloodline," he smirked. "And it's time for me to dance with my sister. You don't have a problem with that, do you?" She really didn't have a choice; his grip on her wasn't leaving her any room to struggle. She blew a strand of hair out of her face and gave him an annoyed look.

"Why do you always order me around so?"

"Because I can, your royal squirtness." She stumbled a little in the steps and kicked him sharply in the shin. "Ouch!"

"An accident."

"Right." She smiled sweetly at him, then resigned herself to finishing the dance and laid her head against his chest. Over her head, Touya met the frustrated gaze of the General and scowled. Touya didn't like Nikolai Gorrell, he never had. He had a power-hungry air about him that put the prince off. His father refused to listen to any complaints about him, though, pointing to his excellent record of loyalty and how well he maintained law and order in the kingdom. It was true that he did do a very good job of it. But the thought of that man, more than twice Sakura's age, putting his hands all over her delicate body made Touya fume. He wasn't about to let it happen, either that night or any other.

Because, he thought darkly as he clutched his sister possessively around the waist, you just never know.

- - - - - -

The General paced along the wide corridor of the palace, his heavy steps echoing in the marble halls. Back and forth, back and forth he paced. There had been no sign of the princess, the colonel had just reported through courier, no sign at all since her escape from that country boarding house. She'd disappeared into the woods, her and her mysterious warrior friend, and left absolutely no trace behind. It was as if she'd vanished.

His face was as black as his uniform. Still he paced. He was hovering before one of the royal family portraits, the one that depicted the children. The prince was standing tall and straight, his dark eyes serious as he gazed at the painter. Sakura was seated in a chair next to him, her back straight too but her eyes twinkling with a hint of a smile. The artist had lent a certain scope to his brush, trying to portray the laughter and smiles that she always carried with her. She was the pet of the royal court, the darling of their majesties.

She was also everything that represented power to Gorrell. So young and fresh and beautiful, she was capable of powerful things, could wield terrible magic if she had to. To the General, she was everything that he had set out to control when he wrested power away from the king, and the fact that she had escaped and was running free tore at him from inside. He didn't like loose ends; he didn't like things beyond his control. And that's exactly where she was right now, beyond his control.

He clenched his fists a little in frustrated malice.

He needed her powers and abilities, working for him. He wanted her under his control. He needed her to be his wife, to establish his right as the ruler of the kingdom. It mattered little to Nikolai that she obviously didn't want to be with him, and that she was going to great lengths to escape his grasp. In fact he preferred it. He was a fighter, a conqueror; physical enforcement was the only method of persuasion that he really trusted. If he could find her and bring her back, if he could force her to marry him and wield her magic for his purposes, then that would demonstrate how powerful he really was. That he could indeed control anything that he wished.

But still she persisted in eluding him. She refused to fall into place in his neatly constructed plans, and he was furious. The princess would pay dearly for what she was putting him through, she really would. When he finally found her and brought her back to her proper place, he would make her suffer like she never dreamed. That was one thing he knew he could do, and he smiled grimly to himself as he stared at her picture.

She would pay for her insolence. Oh yes. She would pay.

- - - - - - -

"Teach me," Sakura pleaded when they finally concluded the last of his drills.

"Excuse me?"

"Show me how you do those things that you do. The fighting." Li favored her with a cynical glance as he took another swallow from his waterbag.

"You're joking, right? Sakura, it takes years to learn how to fight, and very intense, thorough training. I can't just 'show you' anything."

Her face fell and she turned to lean against one of the cherry trees, resting her head against its rough bark. "I'm here because I ran, you know."

"What?"

"I ran that night. I let Yue die holding them all off so I could escape out the window. I didn't even try to fight them, because I don't know how. My brother…" She paused to draw a shuddering breath. "I know he fought. That's the way he is. He had bodyguards too, his whole life, but he put himself through the training of the King's Own anyway. Just to prove that he could do it."

A single tear ran down her cheek as she thought back.

"Ever since I can remember, my mother and father always told Touya how strong he had to be for me. He is the heir to the throne, after all, and they told him all the time that he was responsible to not only the people of the kingdom, but me too. He took his future very seriously, paid a lot of attention to his studies as well as his physical training. And he was absolutely devoted to watching out for me. You should have seen him when nobles came to court me. He never let any man be alone with me if he could help it." A half-smile flitted across her face, and Li tried to ignore the strange feeling in his stomach when she said that.

"There were a lot of them, huh?"

"From all over the kingdom. And visiting royalty, too, from the neighboring lands. It never mattered what their lineage was or how much money they had; he didn't care. As far as he was concerned, no man was ever good enough for me. He kept them away. He was a fighter. And I know, on the night of the overthrow, that he never even considered running. He would have fought right alongside his bodyguards, and that's why he's a prisoner now."

Feeling disgusted with herself, she started banging her head against the tree.

"Hey, stop that. You're not a bad person for running, Sakura. You didn't know how to fight them; there wouldn't have been any point in trying. It's not your fault what choices your brother made."

"If I knew how… I could have helped. Maybe the two of us together could have done something…"

"Maybe, maybe. It's in the past, and no longer an option." Her eyes were squeezed shut as she rested her head against the tree, and he couldn't help himself. Tenderly he placed a hand on her shoulder. "But you do want to try and save him. I respect that. You're very brave to go back."

She turned her head to look at him. "I'm just a spoiled princess. I'm in over my head; I can't do anything."

"We'll see about that." His hand slid down to her arm and he pulled her away from the tree. "There's a proper way to do a punch," he began. "It starts like this, with your fist turned up and at your waist."

He demonstrated. "Then, just before striking the target, you will rotate it like this. That generates power."

Clumsily she copied him. "Like this?"

"Yes, but make it smoother." He placed his hand over hers to guide it properly. "And while that hand is doing that, you want to pull back with the other hand. It creates a reaction force and makes the punch even stronger." He moved behind her to place his left hand on hers and showed her how. Now his arms were almost completely around her, and Sakura found herself blushing as she realized that his shirt was still off. He was breathing deeply and evenly as he demonstrated the punch, his rock-hard muscles gliding against the material of her shirt.

Concentrate, Sakura, focus. You're learning this so you can fight back and survive.

She closed her eyes, glad that Li couldn't see her face. It felt like she was on fire. If only he wasn't so close…

She was so close. Li felt himself reddening as he moved her arms through the motion of the punch over and over again. Her delicate, slender body pressed up against his was too much, he was losing the ability to concentrate. Finally he stepped away.

"Okay. Now let me see you do it on your own."

Thank goodness, Sakura thought, relieved and disappointed at the same time. With an effort she brought herself back under control and smiled at Li as he stepped around to face her.

"Like this?"

"Yes." He nodded, hoping she wouldn't notice the blush lingering on his cheeks. "Like that."

- - - - - -

Tomoyo stripped off her clothes with a sigh of relief and stepped into the cold water of the river. At long last she would finally have a chance to bathe and wash her long hair. It had been such a hassle, trying to maintain it these past few weeks. More than once, she'd considered asking Li to cut it off with his knife. But somehow, she just couldn't bear to. The queen had often told her how much it resembled her mother's, and how much she looked like her when she wore it down. Tomoyo didn't want to let go of that.

Using a sharp stick, she unearthed the plant that she now knew to be soaproot, and with a small stone pounded at them on a flat rock on the water's edge. Enthusiastically she rubbed her scalp with the white foam, then dunked her head under the water.

I wonder what's going on back in the cherry orchard right now. I hope it was worth this long walk back to the river.

She smiled to herself, then noticed another plant by the riverbank.

Hey, I know that plant. I've seen it in the kitchen gardens of the palace. That's rosemary. A maid told me once that she used it on her hair to make it smell nice.

Curious, she plucked a few brambles from the bush. Just rubbing them lightly between her hands created a sweet-smelling aroma, and she crushed them in tiny puddle of river water in the rocky bank. When the water itself was thick with the perfume of the herb, she poured it over her hair. It smelled wonderful, and she felt so pleased with herself that she began to sing as she stretched out on a sunny boulder to dry.

Eriol uttered a groan and leaned against Ruby's flank. He'd lost it; there was no doubt about it. He was completely off track.

"I thought I was getting somewhere when I saw those mushrooms, so neatly sliced off their stalks. No animal bites off a mushroom like that. But I can't find another campsite for the life of me, and I'm sure I've overshot the trail by now." Ruby snorted and shook her head again.

"Stop that. You flick your mane right into my face when you do that. I know I've overshot the trail, there's no way that they'll be any closer to the edge of the forest. Or if they are, they're seriously lost, which I doubt. It's completely the wrong direction." Frustrated, he pulled his waterbag off of Ruby's tack, and swallowed the last of it.

"Looks like I need a refill." He glanced around him. There was a slight gradient to the land, nothing too steep, but enough. Water could always be found by going downhill. He hobbled Ruby and left her in the clearing to graze, and departed in search of water.

Tomoyo finished the long, dramatic song, listening with pleasure to the sound of her voice carrying over the water. It was nice, singing out here in the outdoors. She did love to sing. Sakura always talked about her joining the Royal Opera when she was older, but Tomoyo wasn't so sure about that. She loved singing, but she didn't like to think of leaving Sakura's side. Her princess needed her.

Speaking of which, it was probably time to be headed back. If she wasn't back at the orchard by dusk, Li would get frustrated. Her hair was almost dry now, and she pulled the tangles out with a thin, sharp stick. Then she pulled on her clothing and began to clamber up the rocky river bank to reenter the forest. She had just reached the trees when something sharp poked her in the back.

"Freeze."

She squeaked and halted, instinctively raising her hands in surrender.

"Please sir, if I am on your land, then I didn't mean to be. I'm not here to steal anything of yours."

"Quiet. Put your hands on your head and turn around." Trembling, she complied, and got a horrible shock when she realized the man pointing a crossbow at her was no peasant, but a captain of the Royal Army. He was young, very young for his rank, but his eyes were intelligent and experienced. Those intense blue eyes seemed to cut right through her as he studied her curiously.

"Please sir, I - "

"I said, quiet. March, this way." He raised his arm and pointed, a slightly different direction than the one that she had been headed in. Tomoyo was terrified, but she wasn't sure what else she could do. If only Li was there. But he wasn't and she was on her own. Helplessly she nodded, and began to walk, the officer just a step behind her.

Eriol didn't say anything until they'd returned to the clearing, and he cut a short length of rope from the coil hanging from his saddle.

"Sit right over there," he indicated, pointing to a brambly crepe myrtle tree. Its branches were low to the ground, but growing upwards toward the sunlight. "Right up against the trunk, please. And raise your arms above your head." He set his bow on the ground and tied her wrists together over the lowest branch. Not until she was securely fastened did he relax, and he sat on the grass across from her to give her a more thorough looking over.

His silence unnerved Tomoyo, and she flushed as he examined her. He had not touched her, other than to tie her hands, but his sharp and calculating eyes provoked a shiver anyway. It seemed he was undressing her with them.

Her voice quavering with fear, she tried again.

"Please, captain, I've done nothing wrong. I'm just a peasant girl traveling through the forest."

"Sure," he said amiably. "You're a peasant. Who's never done a day's work with those smooth white hands, who knows my rank by my uniform despite the fact that very few peasants ever have occasion to see a captain, who speaks with a cultured and educated dialect, and who knows all the words to the Fifth aria of the Royal Opera."

The girl gaped in surprise at his observations, and Eriol allowed himself a grim smile. There was no doubt that she was not who she said she was, but then, who was she?

Eriol gazed at his prisoner thoughtfully, and she squirmed. Could she have something to do with the princess? She fit in the profile of someone raised in the palace, there was no doubt, but nobody had mentioned anything of the princess having a companion. He recalled the tracks he'd seen back by the village of Brookside, the tracks of two women running away from the battle scene. He'd assumed at the time that the princess had been joined by a pair of peasants, one male and one female. Certainly none of his superiors had mentioned that her highness was traveling with anyone.

But it would be just like them to wave aside a detail like that. It would never occur to them to say if the princess was traveling with one of her servants. They probably wouldn't think it important at all. On the other hand, I did find her all alone. And, as I was thinking earlier, it's highly unlikely that the princess ever came this way at all. It's far too close to Tomoeda.

"Who are you?" he asked pleasantly. "What's your name?"

She trembled and said nothing.

"Come on, then, there's no need to be rude. Tell me who you are. I'm afraid I have to insist." He rocked forward onto the balls of his feet to look her more directly in the eyes. She turned her face, but he held her chin in his hand and forced her look at him.

"Those are very distinctive eyes, my lady. Extremely beautiful." She tried to pull away from his touch, but that was impossible, and he chuckled. Her eyes were captivating, a pretty pale violet that reminded him of spring flowers. But they were so terrified. He dropped his hand, brushing over her tunic, and she cringed.

"Please don't hurt me," she cried.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he assured her. "I just want to know who you are."

"I'm nobody," she whispered. Eriol tapped his chin pensively.

"I don't believe you. I think you are somebody. I'm just not sure who." He stood up and grabbed his waterbag off the ground. He hadn't had the chance to fill it, what with following her from the riverside to the forest. "I think you have something to do with the princess, and it's my duty to take you to my commanding officer."

If he'd had any doubts, the look of terror that crossed her face at that announcement erased them for good. She clearly had something to hide, and that meant he should get her to the colonel as quickly as possible.

"I'm all out of water, so I just need to go fill this up. I'll be right back, and then we can get going. Don't go anywhere."

The soldier left the clearing, and Tomoyo tried to push down the panic bubbling up inside her. Colonel Blackstock had seen her many times in the palace, he would know exactly who she was. And he would probably torture her to get Sakura's location. She had to escape, and quickly.

There was a sharp nub in the branch near her hands, and frantically she began to rub the rope across its point. It was a thin twine, really, probably intended for nothing more than tying his horse when he wanted to. Already she could hear the fibers breaking.

Hurry, Tomoyo, please hurry.

The river was not all that far away, and he would probably run, anxious to get going and get her into custody. That couldn't happen, it just couldn't. Her wrists hurt from the pressure of the rope cutting into her skin, but she pressed harder, desperate. At last the rope snapped and she scrambled to her feet. But she couldn't escape on foot; he had a horse and would probably be able to catch up to her in no time. The last thing she needed was for him to follow her trail right back in the direction of Sakura. Maybe she could repeat that trick with the horse that Li had done two days earlier. If she stole his mount, she could get a good long distance away, and then she would have time to continue on foot more carefully, without leaving any tracks.

"Come here, girl," she wheedled. "Come on, little lady." The beautiful chestnut mare whinnied and backed away. "Shh, come on, be nice to me, please. I'm in trouble here." Tomoyo had always been good with horses, her voice was soothing to them and her touch was gentle. Delicately she placed her hand on the shoulder.

"Shhh… nice and easy now. I'm not going to hurt you." The horse quieted, and she bent over to unfasten the restraint around her legs. "Just do me this one favor and get me out of here. That's all I want, and then I'll let you go. Promise." Cautiously she slid her hands up the side of the mare, letting the animal get used to her feel and her smell. Then, when she was sure that the horse was calm, she put her boot in the stirrup and swung onto her back. Promptly the animal reared up, and with a shriek Tomoyo fell off her back.

She never hit the ground. Instead, she found herself in the captain's arms and looking up at his amused expression.

"Are you all right? Ruby's rather temperamental about having strangers on her back."

She yelped and tried to push herself away. But no sooner had her feet hit the ground than he twisted her arm behind her, pulling her back close to him. She wriggled, but froze when he placed a sharp blade to her throat with his other hand.

"Please, my lady. Don't make me hurt you. I need to deliver you to my commanding officer; it's my duty. Now I don't want to knock you unconscious and carry you back like a sack of potatoes, but if I have to then I will. Now will you promise to stand still, and not run away?"

She swallowed cautiously and nodded.

"Good girl. Now hold on a moment." Expertly he sliced a strip of cloth from the bottom of her oversized tunic, then bound her hands firmly behind her back.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry," he apologized. "But I need to make it tight." He sheathed his knife and stepped away from her to deal with his mare.

"Ruby. Ruby, calm down, please." She was prancing nervously and whinnying at him still, and he reached forward to catch hold of her halter. "Shh… calm down. There's no need to be frightened. I'm here for you, I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He stroked her nose and leaned forward to exhale into her nostrils. Under his firm hands, she quieted, and he smiled with satisfaction. "That's better. She didn't mean to scare you, Ruby, she was just trying to escape. She's frightened, okay? She's sorry."

Tomoyo forgot a little of her fear as she watched the captain converse with his horse. She'd never seen anyone talk to their mount like that. And it almost seemed as if the mare understood him.

"Ready to ride again? Good girl." He led his now complacent horse to a large boulder in the clearing. "Come here." He held out his hand to Tomoyo, who unwillingly stepped forward. "No sudden moves, now. I can't guarantee that Ruby will stay quiet if you try to escape again. And I don't want you to get hurt."

He looked so slight compared with the other brawny soldiers of the army, but he grabbed her around the waist and deposited her atop the rock without even grunting. Then he swung onto the saddle and pulled her up to join him, making sure she was seated comfortably in front of him before he wrapped an arm around her waist and picked up the reins.

"Why Ruby?" she asked softly. "She's brown all over."

"Yes, but she was born on the night of a harvest moon. It was so bright and red, like a ruby glowing in the sky. I helped to foal her, and I'm the only person that's ever ridden her. Besides you, that is."

"Oh."

"I apologize, by the way for demanding to know your name when I haven't even offered mine. Eriol of the Hiiragizawa family, or Captain to most. You can call me Eriol if you like."

"One who dreams alone."

"That's right," he affirmed, a note of surprise evident in his tone. "You must read quite a bit. It's not a common name." She gulped and didn't answer. Why had she just said that? She was doing a pitiful job of pretending to be a commoner who knew nothing.

"Now I will ask for yours again. If you would be so kind?"

Tomoyo watched the trees pass by. Ruby was only walking, but she hitting a pretty fast pace. They were probably headed for the road, and from there it would likely be a short distance to Blackstock. What would happen to her? What did it matter if he knew her name or not, she was already bound to be recognized.

"It's Tomoyo."

"Tomoyo." Eriol couldn't help himself; he inhaled deeply, enjoying the rosemary scent of her lustrous black hair. "That's a beautiful name. Also rather uncommon."

"I suppose," she whispered.

He must have sensed how afraid she was, because he squeezed his arm around her waist more tightly. He was very strong, and it was both frightening and oddly comforting to be wrapped in his arms like this. But she was his prisoner, and he was taking her to her doom.

Oh, how I am going to get out of this? Somebody… please. Help me. I don't know what to do.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	7. ch6 haunted

Chapter 6 

'**haunted'**

Once again Li swung his fist at Sakura's face. Scowling with concentration, she darted to his side and pushed his fist aside, then twisted and yanked. This time she did it correctly, and Li found himself flat on his back and trying to swallow a slight groan of pain.

"How was that? Did I do it right this time?" Her expectant smile appeared above as she bent over to look into his eyes.

"Not bad," he grunted. "I was almost going full speed that time. But you've got to remember, Sakura, that you won't always know when someone is going to punch. In a practice like this, you're prepared for it. You won't be in a real fight."

"I know. But I have to start somewhere, don't I?" She held out her hand to help him to his feet, but he waved it away and stood on his own.

"Actually, I have to admit that you're picking this up pretty quickly. Are you sure you've never done anything like this before?" She grinned impishly and shrugged.

"No, I've never done anything like this before. But when I was younger, I used to always watch my brother and Yukito practicing for their classes. I loved watching them, even though I would never be allowed to participate in something like that. It was 'unladylike'. I was particularly fascinated by the gymnastics that they practiced." She took a deep breath, then to Li's astonishment, she performed a perfect back flip. "I wasn't supposed to do that, of course." She smiled at Li's surprised expression. "But I couldn't help myself. It looked like so much fun. Yukito helped me learn. He was good at everything."

She lost her smile as she remembered, and Li cleared his throat. "So I suppose you think you're pretty good, then, huh?"

"What?" She looked at him, startled, and he gave her a cocky grin.

"Think you can do this?" He executed a neat aerial, and straightened to see her staring, obviously impressed.

"Um, of course I can do that." She imitated him perfectly and beamed with pride, her momentary grief forgotten. Li grinned. He didn't want her thinking about that man just now.

"How about this?" This time he did two backflips and a back tuck. He'd never appreciated the gymnastics portion of his training as much as the sparring and swordfighting; it had no immediate value as far as he was concerned. But Master Wei had always lectured that training of the entire body was crucial to maintaining grace and stamina, and so he had practiced. She obviously had too, as she repeated his motions and then threw in an extra aerial twist at the end to show off. He remembered now how quickly she had hidden in the branches of the tree that first day, right before the soldiers rode in to the clearing.

"There. Beat that."

"Gladly."

- - - - - -

They'd reached the road at last, and Ruby was walking even faster now that she had smooth terrain beneath her hooves. Tomoyo watched the sun; it was beginning its slide down the sky, approaching the treeline. How long would it be before they noticed she was amiss? And how would they ever find her? It didn't matter; they wouldn't be able to rescue her from an entire troop of soldiers. All that did matter was her holding out long enough so that they could escape. It didn't matter how much it hurt, it didn't matter what they did to her, she would not reveal Sakura's location. They were so close, too; Ruby was walking past the cherry orchard now. Just a short distance away, Li and Sakura were patiently waiting for her, totally unaware of how close to danger they were.

Tomoyo was afraid, very afraid. She wasn't sure how strong she really was, not sure if she could withstand torture. Eriol felt her shake slightly as she began to sob, and he felt a touch of pity. It was obvious that she was very frightened, and he felt sorry for her. She looked like a nice girl. But if she was aiding and abetting the princess, then she had only herself to blame. Without the princess, the General was having a tricky time of maintaining order in the kingdom, and Eriol didn't appreciate lawlessness. His thoughts were interrupted, as it happened, by the very definition of lawlessness.

"Hold it right there," sneered a voice. A horse broke out from the forest on the left, the man on her back wielding a crossbow. "Stop where you are." Four other bandits broke out of their cover now too, surrounding them on the road. Eriol swore under his breath.

Of all the worse timing…

"In the name of the king of Hapeynia, let us pass. I am a soldier in the Royal Army and conducting business for his majesty." Surreptitiously he slipped his knife out of his sheath, and began to cut the binds around Tomoyo's wrists. He didn't want to, but as his prisoner he owed her protection from harm.

"Soldier of the Royal Army," the ringleader repeated, amused. "Well, boys, we respect the Royal Army, don't we?" There were snickers all around. "We'll be glad to let you go on your way, just as soon as you hand over your money and your lovely companion."

Tomoyo squeaked a little, and Eriol patted her comfortingly on her leg.

"Shhh…" he whispered. "It'll be all right. I won't let them hurt you. I need you to lean forward and to the left. Just a little." Trembling, she complied.

The man who had spoken was prodding his horse closer to them, now, still aiming his bow at them.

"Well, soldier? Are you going to get off your horse and do it the easy way? Or will we have to make you fall off your horse?"

"You're not taking my horse," Eriol snapped, his voice cold and clipped. "I'm warning you, turn away and let us go on. This is your last chance." They all burst into laughter at that declaration, and the leader only came closer.

"I guess that's his answer, boys." Ruby was fidgeting underneath them, turning slightly to Eriol's subtle signals so that he had a clearer shot at the leader. "Go ahead, make him fa - "

He never had a chance to finish his sentence. In a motion so fast that nobody even saw it, Eriol hurled his thin dagger straight at the leader's throat, piercing his windpipe. The man gave a choking gurgle before falling off his horse, the rest of his men shocked into silence.

Tomoyo was no less shocked to find herself being pushed roughly to the left, as Eriol snatched at his crossbow hanging on Ruby's right wither. She yelped as she hit the dusty road, and Eriol winced a little as he released the trigger and planted an arrow in another man's chest. That had hardly been gentlemanly, but there was no other way.

"Go!" he shouted. "Run!" Stiffly she picked herself up and backed away uncertainly. "I mean it, Tomoyo, get out of here!"

He drew his sword and eyed his opponents, their shock replaced now by murderous determination as they fanned out to surround them. Eriol wasn't interested in running, he needed to put these men in their place. They were criminals.

"I'll say it again," he ordered, "stand down."

They didn't respond, which was expected, and the three of them closed in.

"Show me again."

"Right." Li punched in a slow motion and allowed her to grab his wrist and circle underneath to back right up to him. "There. Can you feel how you are in position to me? This is where you conduct the throw."

"But you're so much heavier than I am. How do I do this?"

"It's important that you get your weight under me, then push up with your legs. That's where your main strength is." Obediently she bent her knees and tried to push up, but when she tried to pull him over her shoulder, she lost her balance and they both toppled onto the grass. She yelped a little with surprise, but then she realized that he was trying to hold in laughter.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm all right. I guess I didn't have the proper stance."

"I guess you didn't. That technique is a little advanced anyway. We'll try it again some other time."

"I'd like that," she said softly. Neither of them had moved from their tangled positions on the ground, and she blushed when she realized how entwined their bodies were. She was sweaty and her heart was beating fast thanks to all the exercise, and now she felt as though she could barely draw breath.

Li felt his body temperature rising, and his face growing warm again, and hastily climbed to his feet.

"Um, well, I think that's enough for today. There's no point in showing you more than you can remember." She nodded quickly and stood.

"Right. Well, thank you for the lessons. I appreciate it."

"No problem." He looked away, to be looking at anything, and for the first time noticed how low the sun was in the sky. "Where's Tomoyo?"

"Uhh…" Sakura felt a tingle of anxiety as she looked at Li's face. "She should have been back by now, shouldn't she?"

"Definitely. She wouldn't keep us waiting." Li paced a little, then pulled on his shirt. "Maybe I should go back, see if anything is wrong."

"No, if you go, we should all go. We can't keep splitting up like this."

"I can go faster on my own."

"I know, but - " She broke off as they both heard it. Thin and distant, but clearly audible, a woman was screaming from the far side of the orchard.

Ruby reared and struck at one of the approaching horses. She was a combat horse, after all, trained for battle, and she wheeled and snorted, searching for anyone else stupid enough to get within range of her hooves.

Tomoyo watched Eriol brandish his sword and battle with the three remaining bandits. She wasn't really sure what to do, but then one of the attackers spotted her and turned his horse toward her. She was a far more attractive target than the armed soldier, and he laughed and spurred his horse into a run. Tomoyo screamed and bolted for the orchard.

Eriol fumed a little as he watched her run, afraid for her safety, but there wasn't anything he could do to help, at the moment. He had to deal with these two first.

Tomoyo was running, faster than she'd ever run in her life, terrified of the man pursuing her. They were off the road now, and his horse was forced to go at a slower pace, but he was still gaining on her. Like a desperate hare, she wove in and out of the cherry trees, praying that in the dusk the horse might trip and fall on the large roots. But no such luck. He was getting closer now, and she was sure she was going to die. When she collided with someone else, she lost her head and screamed again.

"Shh! Tomoyo, it's me. Calm down!" It was Li, holding her still as she struggled and fought. "What's wrong?"

"He's coming! He's coming!"

"Who's coming – oh." Li looked up at the horse approaching. "Just go on. Sakura is right through those trees." He pointed casually as he activated his sword. "I'll deal with this."

She scurried away as the bandit approached, raising his own sword as he came closer… closer…

Expertly Li blocked his swing and sliced the man's leg, drawing a scream of agony on his part.

"Do you like to attack defenseless girls often?" Li queried in an icy tone. "It's not so much fun when someone fights back, is it?"

The bandit only growled and turned his horse back to charge Li. Once again, Li blocked the blow and cut into the man's ribs. This time he fell off his horse and yelled again when he hit the ground. The sword flew out of his hand and he reached forward to pick it up, but Li stepped on it.

"Did you want this?" The older man snarled and leapt to his feet in an attempt to tackle Li at his waist, but Li slid to the side and struck his temple with the hilt of his sword. He grunted and staggered a little, then regained his balance. Li watched him darkly, feeling a fresh anger well up within him. This - thing had been chasing a helpless girl, and _laughing_. This was _fun_ for him. And who knew how long he'd been doing it.

"Someone like you killed my father and destroyed my mother's life."

The bandit should have probably realized he was in real danger at this point, but he only spat and threw a ribald curse at him. Li ground his teeth and kicked him sharply in the chin, knocking him flat to the ground. Before he could move Li was pinning his chest down with one foot and leveling his swordtip at his throat.

"Still no apologies? People like you think you can do whatever you like to others. You don't think any of your victims can stop you. Tonight you were wrong."

"Wait," the man gasped. "Okay. I beg for mer -"

The rest of his sentence was lost in a gurgle of blood, as Li slit open his throat.

"Too late."

The orchard was quiet for a moment without the bandit's labored breathing, and Li dropped to his knees in the grass as his sword withdrew into pendant form. Finally! At long last, he'd used his hard-won skills for the reason he got them in the first place. After all these years, he'd slaughtered a criminal like those who'd hurt his parents. Alone under the stars, he waited for the sensation of virtue and vindication to flow into him as any true warrior must feel.

He waited a while, but there was nothing.

"Tomoyo! Tomoyo, thank goodness!" Sakura ran to meet her when she saw her coming, and clung to her with relief. "I was getting so worried!" Kero flew in for a hug, as well, and she returned it happily. "Where's Li?"

"Taking care of my attacker." Tomoyo shuddered slightly. She almost felt a little sorry for the bandit. Not quite, but almost.

"What happened?"

"Uh…" For some reason, Tomoyo hesitated when she opened her mouth. Why? She needed to tell Sakura what had happened. "Er, I - I was bathing in the river - "

"Come on, time to move." Li appeared by her side out of nowhere, a dark look in his eyes.

"Um, Li?" she tried timidly. "I have to tell you somethi - "

"I don't feel like talking," he snapped. "Let's go." Li was strapping the tent onto Sakura's back again, and Tomoyo pulled the waterbags over her shoulder. He was obviously in a bad mood, and she really didn't want to direct any more of that towards her by bringing up the soldier. It was dark anyway, and they were bound to lose him. He might even be dead; there was no guarantee he'd survived that fight against two armed bandits on the road.

She knew that that was what she should hope for, but she found herself rather wishing that he were all right.

What am I thinking about? He's a soldier, the enemy. He's out to capture Sakura and take her back, just like the rest of them. But he let me go, let me go so that I could run and try to save myself.

She found herself blushing a little in the dark as she remembered how strong he was and how he had held her so tightly.

I don't know. I just don't know. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm sure I'll never see him again.

She nodded determinedly to herself as she followed Li through the trees. Never again.

- - - - - -

"What was all that about?" Yukito asked when Touya finally returned to his corner. The prince shrugged.

"I don't know. Just a feeling. I don't like Gorrell, he's got a bad aura around him. And I think he was going to ask Sakura to dance."

"The General? He's one of the best commander-in-chiefs that's ever served, you know that. Look at how well he maintains order in the kingdom. He's obviously devoted to his task."

"I don't care, I don't like him. I don't want him anywhere near my sister, and I don't care how perfect his record is."

"Well, it hasn't always been perfect," Yukito amended. "There was that one slip-up all those years ago. And it was a bad one."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't really remember. We were just kids. But Yue remembers. He says that Gorrell was in charge of transporting a prisoner from the palace to the prisons outside the city. And the prisoner escaped."

"Really?" Touya narrowed his eyes as he scanned the ballroom again. Now the General was nowhere to be seen, and that was almost as worrying as when he was approaching Sakura. "Who was it?"

"The mage, Salfrek. Imprisoned for using magic in forbidden ways. He would have probably faced death for his crimes, but he used his powers to escape the transport, killing several soldiers in the process."

"Salfrek," Touya repeated. "Never heard of him. If he's so powerful and dangerous, why hasn't he been mentioned before this?"

Now it was Yukito's turn to shrug. "I guess he knew better than to try and attack anyone, drawing attention to himself. He disappeared. Your parents assumed that he escaped Hapeynia a long time ago. Not much point in him sticking around."

None at all, except for revenge, thought Touya, but was jerked out of his conversation.

"Touya, there you are! Have you been hiding all evening?" The queen had appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his arm before he had a chance to dart away.

"Good evening, mother," he said innocently, and she gave him a shrewd look.

"Don't you 'good evening, mother' me, young man. You have been shirking your duties, and I won't have any more of it. Now I want you to meet a nice young lady who's visiting the country."

"But - "

"No excuses. Princess Anna of the Daniyan Isles, may I present my son, Prince Touya of Hapeynia." The young woman before him curtsied with a properly bashful smile.

"Good evening, your highness," he growled, and bowed. Nadeshiko beamed at her son.

"Why don't the two of you dance? It will be a nice way to get acquainted."

"I should be delighted," Anna cooed, extending her hand for his. Touya threw a despairing look at Yukito, who was barely managing to contain his laughter, and grudgingly took her hand in his. There was no getting out of it now. He was a prisoner.

- - - - - -

The moon was well into its journey across the sky when Li finally called for a halt. They'd left the orchard far behind, and had crossed the fields of some farmhouse that they couldn't see. The growing wheat wasn't tall enough to conceal them, but there was a deep ditch with a creek winding through the fields, lush and green with overgrowth. He could see that both girls were exhausted, so he found a space just wide enough on the bank to erect their tent.

"We've come far enough. Time to rest."

He pulled off his shirt and splashed his face with water from the creek. Killing that man had evoked so many nagging doubts. From the very first day, he had struggled to master his sword for the purpose of stopping men like that. It had been his one aim, and yet now that it had finally happened, there was no sense of fulfillment. The warm metallic feel of the pendant against his skin, familiar for so many years, was suddenly charged with uncertainty. Did he not deserve it after all?

Preoccupied with his thoughts, he forgot to question Tomoyo about her attacker, and why she had been running from the direction of the road instead of the forest. Instead he just stretched out on the grass and gazed at the stars.

Sakura hugged her friend again. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine, Sakura, honestly. He never laid a hand on me. I'm just a little shaken, that's all."

"You'll feel better after some rest. Take a lie down, and I'll sit up to watch."

"Are you sure?"

Sakura nodded, trying to stifle a yawn. "I'm sure. You've had a far more traumatic evening than I did, I'm sure of it."

Don't doubt that, Tomoyo thought grimly, and curled up with Kero inside the tent. Soon she was asleep, breathing deeply and evenly. Sakura watched her face relax, and smiled.

I don't know what I would have done without her; I'm so glad that she's all right. This is my fault, what she's going through. She's putting herself through this for me.

With a little sigh she returned her attention to their other traveling companion, the one on his back and watching the stars. He'd been rather distracted since Tomoyo's return earlier that evening, only grunting his replies to her questions and looking through her instead of at her, at something that only he could see. Not that his sulky attitude was anything new, but to her it seemed tinged with sadness as well.

"Are you all right, Li?"

"Fine."  
"Are you sure?"

"Positive," he snapped. "Do you mind?"

"Sor - " She stopped herself just in time. "Good night."

He didn't reply, but closed his eyes and tried to sleep. It was impossible. There were too many questions running through his head.

The sword is mine. I'll never give it up. But if killing that trash couldn't make me feel good about using it, then what will?

- - - - - -

Eriol concluded his report and waited for the abuse to begin. It was not a long wait.

"So," the colonel began, "you had the personal handservant of the princess herself in your custody, and you allowed her to escape?"

"Sir, as I've pointed out, I did not know at the time who she was. I merely had my suspicions that she was connected to the princess."

"But you let her go."

"I did not _let_ her go," Eriol replied, his voice sharper than he intended. Blackstock raised his eyebrows. "Sir. I had no choice. We were surrounded by bandits, and I was forced to pull her off my horse so that I might be able to engage them in combat. She ran, and one of them pursued her. By the time I had dealt with the other two and followed their tracks, there was nothing but the dead body."

"And no trail leading away from it?"

"None. They could have gone in any direction."

"I'm a little confused, captain. You say the girl ran off the road. How did she do this if her hands were tied behind her back?"

"I cut her binds, sir."

"You what?"

"I released her hands so that she might have a chance to defend herself." Eriol straightened his back a little in response to the colonel's stunned anger.

"That girl was the best chance we had of locating the princess, and you – you cut her bonds? What were you thinking, soldier?" He stood and banged his fist down on the wooden table with vehemence, making everyone in the room jump a little. Eriol remained still. "What in the name of the gods were you thinking?"

"Sir, she was my prisoner. I had a duty to protect her from harm, and she would have been helpless before that bandit with her hands tied. Under the circumstances, I felt I had no other choice."

"No choice," Blackstock repeated, disbelief mingled with fury in his voice. He stepped toward the captain, hand restlessly tapping the hilt of his sword. "Have you forgotten what the objective of our mission is?"

"I was under the impression, sir," Eriol answered icily, "that our mission was to defend the people against criminals and outlaws, which these men most certainly were. This was the reason I joined the Royal Army. I did not sign on to deliver helpless young girls into their arms."

"You watch your tone, captain," Blackstock warned. "And don't forget your place. I will not be lectured to by my underlings!"

The colonel was starting to look dangerous, and Eriol decided to keep his mouth shut. He didn't mention, though he wanted to, that he had at least found the girl, which was more than anyone else had accomplished. And even though she'd escaped, they at least had a general idea of the whereabouts of the fugitives now, which was more than they'd had in two days. Neither did he mention that there might have been the faintest hint of a trail leading east across the orchard, but he hadn't even dreamt of following it. Clearly the mysterious swordsman was still with the princess, as evidenced by the bandit's body, and Eriol wasn't about to take him on, alone. He was good with the sword, but no expert. He knew his limits.

"You're dismissed, captain. Get out of my sight."

"Sir," Eriol growled, and saluted before turning on his heels and striding out of the inn's main room.

Of all the humiliating, degrading… This is ridiculous. He actually thinks I should have just allowed Tomoyo to be taken by those men rather than set her free. Poor girl. I'm almost glad that I didn't make it back here with her, if she really was the princess' companion. He probably would have tortured her to get the location of the princess. No wonder she was so scared.

He kicked at the dirt viciously, making Ruby snort and shake her head disapprovingly.

"Don't you start, too. I'm in a bad mood. Come on, it's time for you to be stabled down. I need to get to bed. It's been a long day."

- - - - - - -

Sakura couldn't help herself. She hugged him harder and started to cry.

"I miss you so much!" she sobbed. Yukito hugged her back and kissed the top of her head.

"Shh. Don't cry. There's always a way. I may not be able to watch you anymore, but you'll be fine. You'll make it."

"I don't care if you're watching me or not. I just don't want you to be dead! It isn't right, you shouldn't be gone."

"I know. It's not right. A lot of good people died that night." She only cried harder at that. "But Sakura, you can't give in to the grief. You have to be strong, you have to make it right. Everyone is counting on you."

"I'm so scared. I'm not up to it; I'm not up to this challenge. I don't know what I'm doing at all."

"Few people do," Yukito pointed out, that gentle smile on his face. Didn't he ever get upset about anything? Even his own death?

"Death is not so bad," he said, answering her thoughts. "It happens to all of us, you know."

"I know," she replied, frowning. Things were blurring now; Yukito kept flickering in and out with Yue.

"My creator told me once, many years ago, that there was no force on earth that could delay death. We all have our time. It was my time."

"But I love you," she sobbed. "You shouldn't have died trying to protect me." Yue had never been affectionate to her like Kero, but he stroked her hair back from her face anyway.

"It was my duty. And now you have your duty. You must find the Cards, use them to fix what was wronged. Don't be frightened. You have more allies than you know."

Now it was Yukito that she was looking at again, and she buried her face in his shirt and clutched at him even more tightly.

"Please… please don't leave me. I can't do this without you!"

"I'm sorry, Sakura. But this is the way it is. You'll be fine."

"Please," she cried over and over again. "Please… please… don't go…"

The sound of her own crying was what finally woke her. Someone was still touching her, though, wiping at her tears as he shushed her gently. In the starlight she could barely see Li's face.

"I'm sorry," she cried, before she remembered that she wasn't supposed to say that. "I – I was just…"

"Dreaming about him. It's okay." She felt so embarrassed, and she knew she ought to back away. His shirt was off again, and they were so close. But even with an inch or two between them, she could feel his body warmth and liked it. Crying alone was always worse.

"The death is everywhere," she mumbled between hiccups. "All around. There's so much of it in my life these days."

"I think I know what you mean."

"I'm so tired. So tired of all of it. I just want to turn my back on the whole mess and forget about it."

"You know you can't."

"I know."

She seemed so fragile. Without realizing it, Li was running his fingers through her hair. It felt so strange to have a girl so close, as they lay on the bank of the creek beneath the stars. Strange, but nice.

"Go to sleep. You'll feel better in the morning." Sakura felt limp. All the crying had left her drained, and she gave a tiny nod before snuggling up to him and closing her eyes.

It wasn't long before she was asleep, her expression peaceful as she lay in his arms.

She was so beautiful, so delicate. Li had to look away from her face, up towards the moon again. He didn't know what was going on, what was happening here. He only knew that he didn't want it to go any further. There was nothing but pain to be had when the royal family was concerned.

I should just get up right now. I've led them far enough away from my home, the army won't be back in my valley anytime soon. I should just get up, and walk away from this.

But he didn't. Instead he draped an arm over Sakura, and watched the stars.

- - - - - -

Touya drained the last of the water from the cup and pushed it across the floor, where the soldier picked it up. None of the guards were allowed near him, unless there was a sword at his throat. The General hadn't forgotten the prince's training with the King's Own, after all, and wasn't taking any chances.

He probably had no cause for worry. Touya was beyond the point where he could attack anyone, he was sure. He looked at his hand carefully; it was shaking. They were feeding him again, at least, but he was still falling apart. The humiliation of being chained up and the all-consuming anxiety for his sister's well-being was tearing at him every day. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.

Carefully he stretched out on the stone floor and tried to get comfortable for another of his naps. Not that he particularly wanted to go to sleep. Once it had been his release, but now… now these memories were haunting him, scenes from the Midwinter Ball kept nagging at him. It was driving him crazy; he couldn't think why it was so important. It was so painful to have to go there again, to have to see his parents and Yukito again. They were so blissful, so unaware of their fate. It was killing him.

"No, it's not killing you, Touya. You're much stronger than that."

He yelped in surprise and sat up so fast his head spun. His mother was standing over him, so real that he almost bowed when he stood to face her. But she wasn't alive; she hadn't come back. A pair of feathery white wings sprouted from her back now, almost covered by her thick long hair.

"M – mother?"

"Hello, Touya." Her beautiful green eyes were filled with pain as she gazed at him.

Of course, he should have been expecting this. He'd been seeing ghosts and spirits wandering the palace since he was a boy; he'd had quite a lot fun when he was younger by teasing Sakura about them.

"You're here."

"I'm here."

"Why haven't you come to see me before this?"

"I knew how painful it would be for you. Death must be accepted, understood. This will only delay the process. But I just couldn't help myself. I had to come see you; your suffering cries out to me. You are my son."

Touya leaned against the wall behind him and looked down at the chains on his wrists.

"Did it hurt?" he asked dully. "Was it painful for you?"

"It was quick. If there is nothing else that can give you comfort, hold onto that. Your father and I passed from this world in a heartbeat. It's you that bears the agony of the family. It is a difficult road, but it suits you best. You always were the strongest one."

Touya straightened his back a little, in spite of the fear that brushed the edge of his mind. Was he really the strongest? If that was true, then why was he here?

"Sakura," he whispered. "I have to know. Is she all right? Is she unhurt?"

"She grieves, of course. Nothing can save her from that pain. But she fares well. Your struggle to protect her, even from in here, has not been in vain. She's free because you were strong. Take heart at that."

Touya's eyes were starting to burn with unshed tears. "I miss you." Hesitantly he reached forward, but her hand was like an insubstantial and cold mist. She wasn't tangible. And now she was fading from sight. "Mother… don't go…"

"I have to. This is no longer my world. But it is yours. Fight for it. Protect it. You're the strong one, Touya, you can do it. We believe in you." Touya felt the tears run down his face and drip off as he tried to hold on, tried to keep her from going. But she passed through his touch and disappeared, leaving only a wisp of vapor behind.

It isn't right. She shouldn't be dead. This pain is too much to carry. I can't hold on much longer.

He slid down to the floor again and rested his forehead on his knee.

I can't do this. I c-can't do this…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	8. ch7 the whipping

Chapter 7 

'**the whipping'**

The human body is remarkable in its rapid adjustment to new schedules of sleeping. Despite the late hour she had gone to sleep, and the fitful dreaming, Sakura awoke before the first rays of dawn. In the gray half-light, her eyes fluttered open to look directly into Li's. His arms were still around her and he was studying her so intently that he didn't even seem to notice that she was awake.

"Uh, good morning."

"You looked at me once, you know."

"What?"

"That's why I thought your eyes looked so familiar when I first met you." He propped his head up on one elbow and continued to gaze at her. "I was fourteen, I suppose you were probably thirteen or so. You and your mother were walking past our training courtyard, on the verandah above our heads. The class had to stop in the middle of a drill to stand at attention. I couldn't really see the queen, and I was thinking how annoying it was to have to stop for a couple of women. And then you turned your head to smile at the class, and you looked right at me."

Sakura was silent. There was that pain in those brown eyes again, and a longing so intense that it made her hurt to look at it.

"I remember thinking that you didn't know. You were looking right at me, smiling at me like I was any one of those nobles. As far as the princess knew, I was as good as anyone in that class. It was a nice feeling."

Abruptly he rolled away and stood up to move to the water's edge. She sat up and watched him splash his face with cold water.

"You were as good as anyone in that class," she said firmly. "And what's more, I think it's lucky that you were caught."

He looked up, surprised.

"What?"

"Maybe it's selfish of me to think that, but I'm glad it happened. The men of the King's Own are good men, Li, very brave and dedicated. And do you know where they are right now? Dead, or chained up in the dungeons. I can feel it. You'd be with them if you'd stayed in the palace. But instead you were out here in the country, and you saved me. Saved us. You're the one reason that I still have any hope at all of surviving this mess. Maybe this was meant to happen."

For a moment, they just stared into one another's eyes, both a little surprised at the words she'd just uttered. Then she stood and scrambled up the side of the bank to duck into the privacy of the wheat field.

Li scooped a handful of water and looked at it a little blankly. He wasn't quite sure what to make of Sakura's statement.

That's crazy. Meant to happen? What, like destiny? That it was fate that led to my expulsion, so that I'd be right there in my valley when she came wandering through? It's a little farfetched. Maybe I've helped her out a little, but it's not as if I'm the only hope for the kingdom, or anything. I'm just a peasant. I'm nobody.

Tomoyo was crawling out of the tent now, trailed by a sleepy Kero.

"Good morning."

"Morning. Feeling all right?"

"Yes, thank you. I'm so grateful you found me last night, Li. I'm so sorry that I almost led him right to us!"

He could not look at her, and stared fiercely at his reflection in the creek.

"Don't say sorry. Fold up the tent. It's time to move."

Sakura almost felt disappointed that the wild forest was now a memory. It was much easier to walk down between the rows of crops, but the challenge of foraging for food was gone. They stopped for a rest in the afternoon, and she tried to ignore her growling stomach.

"When are we going to find something to eat?" complained Kero at last, voicing her thoughts. "I'm flying on empty here."

Li shot him a typical glare before leaning over and stretching on the ground.

"We're back in civilization now, fluffy. The rules are different. We're coming up on a village, but we're not going any closer until it's darker. Some game might come through here, though." He picked up his bow. "Maybe we'll get lucky. In the meantime, try to get a little rest."

Both girls nodded and curled up on the ground, between the early green stalks. Sakura felt ready for a nap, but even after she closed her eyes she couldn't sleep.

I wish I could remember. I wish I could recall that day. If only I knew when he was talking about. I was walking right past their class; I know I would have looked over to see them. I always did. Did I see him? Did I look right at him? I wonder what he looked like back then.

Her thoughts were beginning to blur as she sank into a doze. She saw herself walking on clouds, unaware of the people working beneath her, serving her, training to risk their lives for her. She didn't like it, didn't want it, but she couldn't do anything about it. Over and over again Li walked past her in the marble halls of her home, for years. But she never saw him, he kept fading out too fast. He was nothing in her eyes… until it was too late.

Disturbed by this revelation, she twitched in her sleep and murmured.

"Don't go…Li…I can't… don't go…"

He swallowed as she spoke in her sleep, and tried to pretend he hadn't heard it. Nope, not at all.

She whimpered in her sleep. "Li, don't…"

He couldn't take it anymore and gripped her hand in his. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here."

That calmed her down at last, and she fell into a deeper slumber. Unable to stop himself, he covered her hand with both of his and rubbed it tenderly. She had such beautiful, delicate hands.

"Why are you doing this to me, your highness? Please, stop it." But it wasn't her that was doing anything; he was holding her hand. He could have let go. But he didn't.

- - - - - -

Gareth frowned as he carefully balanced on one leg, drawing the sword across mid-air in slow motion. Then he exploded into a fury of strikes, slicing at his imaginary enemy's vital points, methodically and with lethal accuracy. It was typical, when running through his drills, that he practiced as if facing someone his own height and build. But now…

Now he could see his enemy in his mind. Slightly shorter, young, and fast. It had been many years since Gareth had lost a swordfight, and that loss by the kitchen had been particularly humiliating. His standing in front of his men had been tarnished, and he did not care to let that image linger. He would rectify it. He would defeat this man.

The drill was complete, and he resumed his starting position before resheathing his sword.

Where to next? The news that the captain had brought back, while frustrating, did give them a few clues. Apparently the princess was near the east side of the forest, rather than the north, as he'd thought. Unexpected, but perhaps they had come that way in the hopes of avoiding a trap. It was difficult to predict what direction they'd gone after that episode last night, but he'd sent clouds of scouts in every direction, hoping to smoke them out of cover before nightfall. Captain Hiiragizawa he had kept with him at their temporary HQ.

There was no doubt in the colonel's mind that the captain was extremely intelligent, and one of the best trackers in the army. But the army valued loyalty over intelligence any day, and there was something about the young man's attitude that troubled Gareth. He didn't follow his superiors' orders with the right deference. Rather, he acted as though he was doing the army a favor by staying on, and that unnerved Gareth. He wanted Hiiragizawa closer to him, until he was sure that there was no cause for worry. He would not unleash an officer out into the countryside who had nothing less than pure devotion to the government, and to the General.

Moodily the colonel watched the sun begin to slide toward the western horizon. Only in the purity and loyalty of its soldiers did the new government stand a chance. And the new government was the kingdom's only hope of law and order. He'd sacrificed so much for this, and he would not let it fall apart now. Gareth Blackstock would bring order to the people of Hapeynia, or he would die trying.

- - - - -

"Touya, come on, stop it!" Sakura was beside herself with giggles, but she managed to send a stern look to her brother. "Play it for real, I know you can."

He smirked in her direction.

"Say the magic word."

"I'm a sorceress, dear brother. All my words are magic." Yukito chuckled at that, and raised his arm to twirl her around before doing the same with his other arm for Tomoyo. Once again Touya pressed the keys of the old organ, filling the now-empty hall with soft melody. It was extremely late, the king and queen had long since retired and the nobles had eventually filtered away. But Sakura and Tomoyo were in a silly, hyper mood and not ready to go to bed just yet. Playfully Yukito tried to conduct a formal dance with one of them on each arm, both girls shrieking with laughter. Yawning servants clearing away the buffet tables smiled at the sight and straightened their shoulders a little. The princess brought laughter with her everywhere in the palace.

"Okay, okay, for real this time." Touya concentrated on playing one of the songs his mother had taught him, a soft and sweet waltz.

"I'm out," Tomoyo declared and backed away from the other two. "I know the words to this song." She began to sing, her voice gentle and sweet in accompaniment to the organ.

Sakura lost herself gazing into Yukito's eyes as they danced across the hall, and Touya just smiled and shook his head. It would never work, he knew; he knew that Yukito only loved his little sister as if she was exactly that: Yukito's sister too. But he was pleased nonetheless. Yukito was the only man he would ever trust with his sister, so it was just as well that she was so madly in love with him. At least he wouldn't take advantage of her.

Touya finished the song, and Sakura gave a deep curtsy.

"Thank you so much for the dance, kind sir."

"The pleasure was all mine, your highness."

"I'm breathless from all that exertion," she declared. "I need something to drink." She made for the bottle of wine on the floor by the organ, but Touya snatched it away just in time.

"Oh no, you don't. You are way too young for this, little missy."

"Touya! I'm almost sixteen, that's plenty old enough for a drink. Everybody else my age drinks it."

"That's no excuse, you're not getting a sip of this." He stood and held it over her head; she tried but wasn't nearly tall enough to reach. He laughed at her vain attempts. "See? When you're tall enough to get it out of my hands, then I'll let you have a drink."

"Touya!" She groaned in exasperation, she did hate it when he tried to act like Father. He was so arrogant and condescending. "You know I'll never be tall enough!"

"That's the idea."

"You think you're so smart." She reached forward and tickled his exposed ribs, and he brought his elbows down to protect himself. "Ha!"

"Oh, you just made a deadly mistake there, princess." Too late she tried to run away, but he grabbed her and pinned her arms to her sides. "Quick Yuki, help me hold her down!"

"No!" she shrieked, helpless with laughter as he tickled her like crazy underneath her arms. "No, Yukito, help! Please!" Tomoyo was beside herself with laughter as she collapsed against the organ bench, vainly trying to draw a breath. Yukito was laughing too as he grabbed at her flailing legs and gripped her ankles.

"This really isn't appropriate behavior as a bodyguard," he said contritely. "But I can't help myself. It's just too easy."

"Traitor," she squealed, right before losing herself in a fit of hysterical giggles.

- - - - - -

The dread sound of the key turning in the lock woke Touya, a little half-smile still lingering on his face. That smile disappeared as he scrambled to his feet.

What are they doing back so soon? It's so fuzzy… so hard to remember, but I'm sure they were just here a few hours ago. It can't be time for more water yet.

"Don't move a muscle until you're told to," barked the lieutenant, resting his sword lightly against the base of Touya's throat. Another soldier was busily unlocking the chains around Touya's wrists. When he finished, he backed away carefully and drew his own sword.

"Hands on your head. March." Much to Touya's surprise and dread, he realized they were walking him out of the cell, which hadn't happened since his imprisonment. What was going on? "Pick up the pace. Your lord and leader is waiting for you."

A sword pricked him lightly in the back to prod him along. He didn't know why he was being marched out of his cell like this, but he was sure it couldn't be good. He should try it, try to escape now. This might be his only chance.

But already his legs had just been subjected to more exercise than he'd experienced in over two weeks. It was taking every bit of effort on his part just to stay upright and walk as fast as they wanted him to, without tripping on the chain that locked his ankles. To run was unthinkable. To fight was unimaginable. And he had promised himself that he would not die on his sister. So he kept marching.

- - - - - -

"Time to move," Li said softly, shaking both girls on their shoulders. "Come on, let's go." Sakura yawned and stretched, then sat up.

"Mmm… that felt nice. I guess I really needed the rest."

"Uh-huh." Li had an odd look in his eyes, before turning his face away from her to take a sip from his waterbag. "Come on, the village is straight through these fields. Once we're there we can do something about food, hopefully."

Obediently she and Tomoyo rose, and Sakura strapped the tent onto her back. Tomoyo carried both their waterbags and Li hefted the crossbow. In the beautiful spring evening they began to move across the field.

- - - - -

Touya found himself facing Gorrell near a doorway to a courtyard. It wasn't one he recognized, despite him having lived in the palace his entire life. It was far too large to explore fully, even for a child as curious as he had been.

"Well?"

The General only smirked and nodded his head to the doorway. "Today's your lucky day, prisoner. You get to see sunlight."

A soldier opened the door, and late afternoon sunlight spilled into the hallway. It was brighter than anything Touya had seen in weeks, and he flinched and closed his eyes. The bright purple spots dancing behind his eyelids were dizzying, and he didn't think he could take another step. His guards had to take one of his arms each and half-drag him outdoors.

"Shirt," he heard the General order, and something cold and metallic ran across his back. They were cutting off his shirt, and he tried not to panic. He knew that that was what Nikolai wanted, for him to show fear. It wouldn't happen. His mother had told him that he was the strong one. He could take it, whatever it was.

Now they were chaining his wrists again, to a pair of vertical poles in the yard. Hesitantly he opened his eyes to the glare of daylight, and tried to focus on the General's face.

"What do you want from me?"

"I want you to understand, your highness. I want you to understand why I did what I did. My reasons."

"I know why you did what you did." Touya's eyes were adjusting, and he opened them fully to glare at his tormentor. "Because you wanted the power. You wanted to rule the kingdom."

"It's a little more complicated than that, Touya. And since I never really got the chance to explain my actions to your parents, I thought I'd enlighten you. I enjoy explaining my reasons to people. And I think I'm really going to enjoy lecturing you." He motioned to someone behind Touya, and there was an explosive crack of a whip. Touya jumped a little and pulled at his chains, but they weren't budging. He must be in one of those courtyards that his father would have never used, a place for humiliation and punishment.

"It's time for the prince to get his lessons."

The whip cracked again, and this time it bit into his skin, across his back. He gritted his teeth, but the pain wasn't as bad as he'd feared.

"There were problems in the kingdom, Touya. Problems with keeping the law, keeping order. Someone like your father could have never overcome them; he was too busy burying himself in books all the time, preaching the theory of law. He was a short-sighted leader."

The pain was spreading now, blossoming up and down the wound and burning into his flesh. It was excruciating, but he forced himself to speak.

"My father… was a great leader. Something you could never hope to be."

"Really?" The General raised his hand and motioned. Once again the leather crossed his back, sending a fresh wave of pain through Touya. "I beg to differ, your highness. You see, Fujitaka was immersed in books and words. He held up the law as some idealistic standard and forced me and my soldiers to keep ourselves within its bounds. Do you have any idea how difficult it was to conduct investigations?"

This time the growing pain was even worse, and Touya was starting to breathe in ragged gasps. Determined not to hang by his wrists, he locked his knees and forced himself to stand straight.

"Our hands were constantly tied. You know what that's like now, don't you? We couldn't do anything; we could never do anything. The criminals had all the rights. We couldn't even walk into their homes and drag them out into the street like the vermin they were, because your father was convinced that their homes should be inviolate!"

He motioned again, this time with an angry swipe of his hand. Touya fought to keep the scream inside as the third wound began to burn.

"The system was breaking down. Over and over again I saw criminals walk free because of these 'rights' that the king accorded them. I could do nothing. My wiser friends and I saw the need for change. A leader cannot be bound by books and laws that are hundreds of years old. What kind of leader is that? A leader is one who isn't afraid to make changes. He sees what needs to be done and then he does it!"

Touya was panting hard. He was sure that he wanted to say something at this point, to argue with the General. The best kings kept their promises, respected the rights of the people below them. But he couldn't speak. All his energy was channeled into standing upright, and he almost slipped when the whip lashed his back again.

"Your father was weak, Touya. He couldn't make the changes that were necessary. So I did him and the kingdom a favor by killing him in his bed." Touya sucked in his breath and struggled again, but it was useless. His parents' murderer was there, a mere step away, and he could do nothing. It was a pain that burned even deeper than the wounds on his back.

"No more of that twaddle about my soldiers having to restrain themselves within the law. Now their hands are free to persecute the criminals of the country, and persecute them how they may. The people will abide by the law, or they will die. It is my will that has produced this, my plans that have brought this about. Future generations will praise me as the father of their perfect system of government."

Smiling in vulpine pleasure, he motioned again, and Touya was horrified to see a shadow darken Gorrell's face for a moment. A faint was threatening, and he shook his head rapidly to clear it.

"You don't have order, though," he muttered. "There is no discipline. That's why you're searching so hard for her. You want her magic."

The General struck him across the face, and Touya tasted blood in his mouth.

"Speak when you're spoken to, brat. This is my lecture, and you will listen. I want the princess by my side to legitimize my claim to the people. They're confused and unsettled by this sudden shift, and they don't understand how good it is for them. They need the comfort and regularity of one of the Kinomotos on the throne; it's been that way as long as they can remember. And I won't deny, having that powerful magic of hers at my beck and call is a lovely proposition. It will be interesting to see if I can force her to do it, once she's mine."

He smiled at the prince's expression, then turned away and lit a pipe.

"Again." Touya jerked under the whip's bite, strangling the cry of pain in his throat before it escaped. He'd already lost count, and wondered how much longer this would continue.

"So you see, Touya, it's all for the best. It's true, I've had to lock up a few people who don't understand how my actions are for the good of the kingdom, but by and large they'll fall in line. People like to be told what to do. They're sheep. And I am their benevolent shepherd. They'll trust me to watch over and take care of them, protect them from the wolves that roam our lands. With your sister as my queen, I'll rule for the rest of my lifetime. And perhaps she'll bear me a son to continue the legacy. Eventually the Kinomotos will be just a memory."

Gorrell signaled again and Touya's knees buckled at last, the manacles pulling cruelly at his wrists and preventing him from falling to the earth. The last of his resistance crumbled, and when the whip struck him again he broke.

He screamed.

- - - - - -

Sakura stopped in her tracks and yelped.

"What?" asked Li, startled. "What's the matter?" She was looking right through him, her face white and her eyes glassy with pain.

"T-Tou-Touya… he's… he's…"

"Touya?" Tomoyo repeated, her expression plainly worried.

"The prince?" Li looked from one girl to another, a little confused. Sakura was beginning to hyperventilate again, starting to panic.

"Touya!" she shrieked. "No! No! No!" She gripped her head in her hands and began to scream.

"Sakura, shh! Stop it!" Hastily Li clapped a hand over her mouth, but she was struggling, fighting. She didn't seem to know him at all, but fought him as he tried to pin her down to the ground.

"What's going on?"

Tomoyo shook her head in confusion. "I'm not sure."

"Something's happening to her brother," Kero predicted, floating closer to Sakura's face. "She can feel it; it's so bad that she's actually experiencing his pain."

Again Sakura screamed, and Li stuffed his sleeve into her mouth, trying to cut off the sound. They weren't within shouting distance of the village yet, but there might be people about. There might be soldiers about, too.

Now she was writhing beneath him, contorting her body as if she was racked with pain.

"Sakura, please," Tomoyo begged. "Please come back to us. You've got to focus, you've got to concentrate. You're here with us, with friends. You're safe. Do you hear me, Sakura? You are safe!"

She stopped wriggling for a moment, while her friend spoke. But then, whatever it was that was happening to her brother happened again, and she screamed once more.

"Sakura! Stop it!" Li realized he was shouting at her, although her face was only a few inches from his. "You're killing yourself, you've got to come back to me! Damn it, Sakura, come back to me!"

Something seemed to penetrate at last. Her frantic green eyes met his, and there was a flicker of recognition.

"L-Li…"

"That's right. It's me. You've got to breathe, Sakura, and relax. You're here with me and Tomoyo, and you're okay. Whatever it was, it wasn't happening to you."

She relaxed a little under his hold, and took a deeper breath.

"Good. That's good. Calm down. You're going to be fine."

"But he's not," she whispered. "He's hurting… oh, it's so bad… how can he stand this? It's like torture. It is torture. They're killing him, and he's my brother." A few tears slid down the side of her face, away from the corners of her eyes. Li hadn't realized it, but he was still on top of Sakura, unwilling to get off just yet.

"I know, and I'm sorry. But there's nothing you can do, Sakura. He has to handle it on his own."

"No." She shook her head. "No, I can do something. I can help. He won't die of infection, not if I can help it!" Once again she struggled against Li, trying to throw him off.

"Sakura, no!" Kero snapped. "You can't do this; they'll be able to track us!"

"I don't care, Kero, I know he'd do the same for me. I have to help, I can't leave him like he is!" Recalling a technique Li had shown her the day before, she twisted and pushed with her hips, throwing him to one side. "I can keep it quiet. It'll take a lot of power, but I can keep it really quiet, and they'll never know. I swear." She was on her knees now, drawing a symbol in the dirt.

"Sakura, no!" Tomoyo hastily rubbed out the image. "We have no idea how close the soldiers are, or who the mage working for Nikolai is. He must be powerful, you'll never be able to keep it quiet."

"I can, Tomoyo, now back off!" Her friend backed away uncertainly as Sakura glared at her. They were best friends, practically sisters. Very rarely did Sakura invoke her power, either as sorceress or princess, against Tomoyo. But she did so then, angrily warning her away with a glower.

Li, however, was not to be intimidated by such looks, and he picked her up around the waist to pull her off the ground.

"Stop it, Sakura. This is too dangerous. You know your brother wouldn't want you to be in jeopardy for him!"

"This isn't about what he wants, Li. It's about what he needs to save his life." She slithered out of his grasp and tried to break away, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him. "Li, please," she sobbed. "I can't turn away. I love him, and he's the only family I have. Please let me do it. I have to do it."

Li thought of his mother, long suffering before her final release of death. He should have sacrificed anything to help ease that, but he hadn't. And here was this little spoiled princess, so ready to put her own freedom on the line so that she could help her brother. She was a soldier at heart. He couldn't deny her.

"Do what you have to do," he said softly, and released her.

"Thank you," she whispered, and fell to her knees once more. Quickly she traced the outline of a star on the dirt before her, then a crescent moon and a small sun on either side. Murmuring under her breath she drew a circle around all three images.

Tomoyo and Kero were both clearly apprehensive, but afraid to interfere at this stage. Li crouched on the other side, watching her with fascination. Aside from his magical sword, he'd never seen the workings of sorcery up close. Already she seemed different, so unlike the helpless princess that he knew. She closed her eyes, and raised her voice slightly, chanting in some language that was unfamiliar to him. The symbol she'd drawn in the dirt was beginning to shimmer, like morning sunlight on the surface of a lake.

Sakura concentrated very hard, pouring all of her strength into the healing magic. She could do it, she knew, she could feel the lashes across his back so acutely that it was almost like her own pain. It would be easy to heal them, even at this distance. Mainly her effort was focused on muting the magical 'sound' of the spell. It didn't matter what it took, it didn't matter how much she had to give, she would not leave Touya like he was.

"Enough," called out a new voice, and Touya raised his head to look for its source. His vision was blurring again, but he blinked a few times and tried to brace his feet against the ground to stand. He slipped and gave it up.

"She has risen to our bait," the old voice declared, and the General's face split into a grin. The man emerging from the shadowy corner of the courtyard was old and thin, his face wizened with an untold age. To Touya's eyes, he was shimmering with an angry red aura.

A magician, a sorcerer.

"Salfrek, I presume," he muttered. Gorrell nodded approvingly.

"Very good, your highness. Even at that early stage of my planning, I knew what an asset a sorcerer could be to my goals. It was pitifully easy to arrange his escape, and conduct him safely to a place where he could hide away from your parents, practicing and growing stronger with every year. He had every incentive to go along with me. After all, he knew your father was responsible for his imprisonment."

Is this what you mean by preserving the law and order of the people, Touya thought. He didn't have the energy to say it aloud. By allowing dangerous sorcerers to escape their punishment, so that you can seize power for yourself?

"And now he's helping me again. Salfrek is very powerful, Touya, and very experienced. He can pinpoint magical energy almost anywhere in the land. He was helping me locate your sister before she realized her danger and ceased exerting her powers. I had to draw her out. You served your purpose well."

Touya tried to follow the General's meaning, but his mind was fogged over with pain. His back throbbed with a dull ache, and now a new and uncomfortable sensation was threading its way through his skin. It burned, reminding him of the sting when treating minor scratches and bruises after a sparring session.

Abruptly, realization and then panic shot through Touya, and his head jerked up to meet the old man's malicious stare.

"Ah yes, young prince. She is trying to heal your wounds, so anxious that you be spared further suffering. What a noble little girl she is. So thoughtful. She did try to keep it from me, but it was a pitiful effort. I know where she is."

"No," choked Touya. Unwillingly his eyes moved from Salfrek to Gorrell, and he felt sick at the triumphant expression that he wore. "No, you stay away from her!" A strength born of panic surged through him and he nearly leapt for the General right then and there.

The prisoner was powerless, however, tethered as he was. Gorrell only chuckled at his futile struggles.

"He's had enough. Take him back to his cell."

"No!" Touya only stopped fighting when the General drew his sword and pressed the point up against the prince's chin.

"I suggest you do it quietly, your highness. Sakura should be here by tomorrow, and I would hate to tell her that the last of her family has met a violent end. Can't you just imagine how it would break her spirit? Drain the last measure of hope from her?"

Touya froze and locked glares with the older man, his ragged breathing the only sound as the soldiers began to unlock his chains.

"Son of a bitch," he snarled. "I'm going to kill you." They were pulling on his arms now, beginning to drag him away. "I'm going to kill you, Gorrell!"

- - - - - - -

Sakura whimpered aloud as she felt a prickle in her mind. Someone was there, someone that had been waiting and listening for her. She had been very, very quiet, but he had heard just a little. And it was enough.

All the color drained from Sakura's face and she toppled over onto the ground, drawing a gasp from Tomoyo.

"Sakura? Sakura, wake up!" Quickly she placed her waterbag between her friend's lips, but there was no reaction.

"This is not a normal faint," Kero explained to Li. "She's exhausted herself with magical energy; the stress and the fear pushed her over the edge."

"Will she be all right?" The little bear hesitated, and Li frowned. "Will she be all right?"

"Not without food and a lot of rest, that's for sure."

"Well, then, let's go." For the second time, Li scooped up the princess in his arms and stood. "It's not far to the village now, we'll find something for her. Tomoyo, if you see any clover, yank it out. The roots are good for strengthening blood." Scared, the dark-haired girl nodded, and hurried to catch up with him as he started walking.

Not far, Sakura, not far. Just hang on, okay?

Li looked down at her face in the growing dusk and tried to quell the rising fear within him. What was going on? Why was he so scared for her? She was just a girl, a princess, somebody he barely knew. But for some reason, he was scared anyway. He didn't want her to suffer.

"Woman! More ale here!" Maude scowled at the table of soldiers and stood, careful of her old and creaking hips.

"Coming, coming," she growled. Bloody soldiers. Rude as they came, and never bothered to pay anymore. It was a nuisance, but there wasn't anything that could be done about it. How did an old woman argue with men with swords?

Grudgingly she poured the foamy drink into their outstretched cups, and turned away to retreat into her kitchen.

"Excuse me." Maude cast an observant eye of the girl standing in front of her. Grubby traveling clothes and no purse.

"Whaddiye want?" She stepped around the young woman and continued out of the room. Tomoyo followed, careful to keep her face away from the soldiers. They were only the local outpost, and didn't seem especially alert for any trouble.

"I don't mean to be a bother - "

"Then don't."

"But my friend's in a bad way. She's ill, and needs something to eat. And medicine."

Maude set her pitcher below the tap in her kitchen and began to pull more beer.

"Got any money, then?"

"Well, no - "

"Best get going, then. I got enough customers already who aren't paying. And an old woman can't run an inn and worry about charity as well."

"I'm not asking for charity." The girl had a suprisingly cultured dialect, considering her clothes, and a sweet and mild voice. She picked up a stack of dirty wooden plates and gave Maude a pleading look. "Please. I'm desperate. I'll do any work you've got, just please help my friend."

Well, if she was willing to wash the dishes… And it was a full house. Maude felt her hip give another twinge, then shrugged. What the hell.

"All right, if yer willing to work. Wash those in the tub and be quick about it."

"Thank you." Her face split into a relieved smile, and her violet eyes shone. "Thank you so much."

Cold, tender caresses. Someone was pressing a cold and wet cloth to her face, gently stroking her hair back from her face. She was so exhausted, Sakura felt as though there were lead weights on her eyelids.

"Heard…" she murmured. Someone had heard her, just a little, and she had to warn her friends.

Li leaned in closer. "What?"

"Dan…dang…" The effort was too much, and she slipped into sleep again. Li frowned as he dabbed at her brow. Herd? Herd of what?

His thoughts were interrupted by Tomoyo opening the kitchen door with a big smile on her face. "She'll let her stay! I'm going to wash the dishes; it'll be all right. You can bring her in."

"Thank goodness," muttered Kero, and dove into his satchel. Li placed it on Sakura's stomach and lifted her again to bring her inside the building.

"Where to?" An old woman taking a sip of ale raised her eyebrows at the sight of Sakura, but shrugged and indicated a side doorway.

"All my payin' rooms are full up, but you can have the old servants' quarters. No one's been in there since my help quit on me."  
"Good. I'll need some broth and some fresh water, and some boiling water for an infusion." He turned and strode down the passageway, not bothering to take in the proprietor's face.

"Please," Tomoyo hastily added. "He means please. We're just very worried about her, that's all."

"Right."

"Woman!" Maude heaved a sigh and picked up the now-full pitcher. She was needed.

"Who is that, anyway?"

"Nobody," Tomoyo said quickly. "She's just my friend. That's all." The young woman looked oddly scared, and Maude narrowed her eyes.

"Woman!"

But she couldn't worry about it just now. She had customers to attend to. "Go on, get to work. We'll be needing those dishes."

"Sakura? Can you hear me?" Li tipped a little more of the stew, rich with vegetables and meat, between her lips, and she swallowed. She hadn't spoken again since that mumbling in the courtyard, but her face was regaining some color. That at least was a little relief.

He glanced around the tiny little room. Sakura was lying on a cot, on a straw-stuffed mattress. Probably not what she was used to, but more comfortable than the ground she'd been sleeping on lately. The floor was earthen, and not wooden, but it was packed down and clean swept, and there was a clean blanket that the old woman had brought in. This he tucked tenderly under her chin before feeding her another spoonful. There was nothing else in the room.

"Sakura? Can you speak?"

Her eyelids fluttered a little, but she didn't open them and she didn't say anything. It was obvious that that spell had drained her completely. He'd never imagined magic could be so taxing. She looked the way he used to feel after a full day of training.

I guess we all have our own ways of fighting. One's just as tough as another.

The hours crept by. He didn't leave her side until Tomoyo returned, carrying two bowls of stew for him and Kero. Then he let her sit with Sakura for a while.

"What do you think? How long will it take for her to recover?"

"I don't know. She's never extended herself this much before; she was always really careful when practicing her magic. And she never had to worry about keeping her magic silent." Tomoyo shrugged. "I just don't know."

"How long can we stay here?"

"As long as business is good. I think she really appreciated my help."

"That's good, anyway. I don't particularly like being in such an exposed place, but I guess it can't be helped." He cast another worried glance at Sakura, lying deathly still on the mattress, then shook his head.

No, it couldn't be helped. They would just have to hope that this particular village was not on the searching list of the army.

The moon peeked over the edge of the treetops, throwing its light on the soldiers riding down the lane. Blackstock took in the sight of the village, Ravenwood, and scowled. He was in a bad mood, as he usually was after having dealt with magic. Like his superior, Gorrell, the colonel didn't like dealing with the supernatural more than he had to, but they had no choice. That sorcerer Salfrek had communicated the general location of the princess directly into Blackstock's mind, and it was a little disconcerting.

But at least they almost had her. He'd sent messages to all his scouts to reconfigure here and comb the countryside. It was impossible to know exactly where she was, but they were bound to find her if they searched through the night.

Meanwhile, he was tired and irritable. There was no reason for him to exert himself throughout the night hours. He'd find the local inn and make it their temporary headquarters.

"You men, you, and you, and you. Post yourselves in the vital points of the village. The rest of our men will be joining us shortly, you're in charge of dividing up the countryside and directing our soldiers."

"Sir, yes sir," they all replied.

"Everyone else is with me for the time being. He indicated the three remaining men, and they nodded. Captain Hiiragizawa was just a little curt in his nod, he couldn't help but notice, and he ground his teeth.

"Right, then. Let's find a place to sleep in this backwater."

"I feel dirty after all that kitchen work," Tomoyo declared. "I'm just going to go wash my face under the pump. Will you be all right?"

"We'll be fine. Go on." Tomoyo stood and left the room.

"Mmm…" Sakura was moving slightly, and Li rushed to her side.

"Sakura? Are you awake? Can you hear me?" He took her hand in his and rubbed it, hoping to get a reaction.

"Li…"

"Yes! Yes, it's Li. Can you open your eyes? How do you feel?"

Tomoyo knelt and lifted the pump handle, then held out her hands under the cold water. It felt wonderful to splash it on her face, and she wished she could go swimming. But this would have to do for now.

"This will be base of operations for the time being," declared Blackstock. The old woman he'd just been arguing with frowned, but she'd lost. It had done no good to try and explain all of her rooms were full, and now she'd been forced to eject some of her guests. Eriol watched her as the colonel continued to lay out plans for the next day. It really wasn't fair, he knew. She'd lost paying customers so that they could stay there, and he knew his fellow soldiers wouldn't chip in so much as a crust of bread's worth.

I suppose it's justified, in the name of finding the princess. But really, how is it any different than just stealing money from her purse?

"Captain Hiiragizawa, I need one person on watch. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Sir, yes sir."

"Good. And this time, don't screw it up." The soldiers snickered, and he flushed a little.  
"That will be all. Woman, get us some food. My men and I are hungry." She pressed her lips together in irritation, but bowed her head and retreated into the building. The other men followed her, but Eriol decided he'd lost his appetite and turned back toward the stables. They wouldn't pay for their dinner, either.

"Li…danger…" she murmured.

"What kind of danger?"

"Heard… me." Sakura's eyes were fluttering open. There was a dull, frightened look in them, and she clutched at his hand. "He heard me. They know…we're here."

His throat went dry.

Tomoyo was still out there.

She turned up her face to the stars and stretched a little. It was a beautiful night, with a warm and balmy breeze blowing her hair back from her face. Every night had been getting just a little warmer, and she found the weather wonderfully pleasant. Not wanting to go back to the small and confined room just yet, she wandered around the side of the building to the stables. Perhaps if she offered to clean them, Maude would pay her some money. Having a little gold would be nice, for a change.

She opened the door and started counting how many horses were in there. Their noses were deep in their feed, obviously hungry after a long days' travel. The one near the door, however, looked up from her food to snort and stamp at Tomoyo.

She frowned. It was dark, and the stables even more so, but that mare looked very familiar…

She whimpered aloud when she recognized Ruby, and tried to force down the panic. The soldiers were here, they were in this inn _right now_, and Sakura and Li had no way of knowing. She turned and almost ran out of the stable doors, and collided with the captain.

"Oof! What the – oh, hello." He smiled at her terrified expression and caught her easily when she tried to scramble away. "Oh no, you don't. Not again. I caught quite a bit of grief for letting you go the first time, you know." He pinned her against the wooden walls of the stable by her shoulders.

"Now, let's see. If you're here, then I would imagine the princess is probably somewhere close by as well. I know who you are now, Tomoyo." She quailed under his knowing look, and struggled to push him off, but there was no breaking away from his hold. "So do you want to save me the trouble of taking you to the Colonel, and just tell me where she is right now?"

Trembling, she managed to shake her head. Eriol sighed. "Have it your way then." He stepped back and she tried to bolt, but his vicelike grip on her arm wasn't giving and he snarled his fingers through her thick hair to assume better control. She squeaked in pain and panic.

"Pl-please," she gasped. "You can't do this."

"I think I can, Tomoyo."

She dug her heels in the dirt and tried to resist moving forward, but compared to a feisty mare she was no problem to control. Pinning one wrist behind her back and keeping his other hand in her hair, he forced her across the courtyard.

"Please, I'm begging you, Eriol!" That took him by surprise, and he almost stopped walking. He hadn't expected her to remember his first name, though he certainly hadn't forgotten hers. "They'll take her to the palace, he'll hurt her, please!"

"I do think you exaggerate, Tomoyo, no one is going to hurt the princess of our country. General Gorrell needs her to help rule the kingdom, that's all."

"He murdered her parents," she whimpered. "She doesn't want to be with him and he will hurt her, you know it. They'll take me away from her, she won't have any friends. She'll be all alone!" Tomoyo wasn't sure why she was trying so hard to explain it to him, she had no reason to expect any sympathy. But wasn't he walking more slowly now?

Eriol had slowed. He was not overly concerned with the princess; rulers of the country had an obligation to the people that should be fulfilled whether they liked it or not. But what might happen to Tomoyo gave him pause for thought. Would she be beaten for her role in this, or worse? She was just a worthless servant in their eyes, it wasn't hard to imagine the soldiers in his company falling to the temptation.

"Why are you trying so hard to protect her?" he finally asked. "Don't you know what could happen to you?"

"I d-don't care," she quavered. "She's my friend, and I won't give her up."

Eriol was aware that he'd stopped walking completely, though he didn't relax his grip on his prisoner for a second. Her loyalty was impressive, for such a soft creature. Too bad it was misdirected. "Not even for the law and order of the kingdom?"

"W-what law and order? Did your men p-pay for the rooms that they're sleeping in tonight? Are they taking things that aren't theirs? How is that law?"

She trembled in his iron grasp, pale with fear but looking him straight in the eye while she spoke. She obviously believed in her words and they hit a little closer to Eriol than he wanted to admit. But he was a soldier, he had his orders. He must deliver her to his superior.

Before he could move to prod her forward again, a burst of jeering laughter startled them both. His fellow soldiers had emerged from the inn for a final moment outside before retiring, and without thinking he pulled Tomoyo close and planted his lips on hers. She squeaked again but didn't try to push away, wrapped in his unyielding arms. His comrades stopped short when they saw the two of them, then laughed again.

"Well, well, look what the captain's found. How much for a turn in the hay, wench?"

Eriol withdrew from the kiss, reluctantly, and rubbed a lock of her beautiful thick hair between his fingertips.

"Sorry men," he offered sympathetically, "but I've already paid for the whole night." He dropped a couple gold coins in Tomoyo's shirt, provoking a startled gasp on her part.

"Well, and is this appropriate behavior on the part of the sentry?"

"Perhaps not," Eriol mused. "And perhaps this will buy your silence." He flipped another coin in the direction of the one who spoke, and winked. The other two chuckled and nodded approvingly before moving on. She was still pressed so close against him, and he could hear her heart beating fast and hard against his chest. It felt good, made him feel protective of her. She was technically his prisoner after all, his responsibility. He didn't want anything to hurt her. Perhaps… it wouldn't hurt the kingdom if he let her go. Just this once.

_Twice_, a little voice sang inside his head, but he didn't listen.

"Get out of here," he murmured into her ear.

"What?"

He opened his arms and pushed her gently away. "Go on, get out of here."

But now that he wasn't holding on, Tomoyo found herself hesitating. She felt dizzy, no one had ever kissed her before.

"I - "

"I said, go. Don't wait for me to change my mind." His commanding tone left no room for questions or gratitude. She offered up a tentative smile, then turned and fled.

Tomoyo disappeared in the darkness, and Eriol did not follow. Instead he leaned against the wall of the inn itself and looked up at the stars.

Releasing her so she could run from bandits was one thing, but what he had just committed was a major act of treason. Blackstock would kill him in an instant if he knew what Eriol had just done. But that wasn't what he was thinking about. Instead he was remembering that kiss.

And liking it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	9. ch8 hiding

Chapter 8 

'**hiding'**

Li took a deep breath and edged one eye around the corner. He could hear them, eating in the main room of the inn, but he didn't know how many there were. He winced when he recognized the colonel, and pulled back behind cover. He knew who Blackstock was, all right, he'd seen him practicing for years in the training yards. It had been a longstanding rivalry whether he was any better than the men of the King's Own, a feat generally acknowledged to be impossible.

I remember watching him spar off with Captain Blacken. He was ruthless all right, with practically flawless technique. I'm really surprised that I did as well as I did in that last fight. I think I surprised him, but next time he'll be ready.

Unconsciously Li was clenching his fists, feeling a little thrill of challenge at the thought of it. But it wasn't just Blackstock in that room, there were others too, and the local soldiers were most likely upstairs. And who knew how many there would be outside. With Sakura barely conscious, it was unthinkable to start a fight right now. They'd never get away fast enough. As frustrating as it was, their best course of action right now was to hide.

He began to edge away from the doorway and almost bumped into Tomoyo, who was creeping through the courtyard entrance. She gave a little gasp, and he quickly covered her mouth with his hand.

"Shh. They're here."

Her eyes wide with fright, she nodded, and he released her.

"Quiet now. Back to the room. Go." Silently they both retreated down the corridor and into the room. Sakura was asleep again, Kero perched on the edge of the cot.

"What's up?" he asked cheerfully.

"Shh!"

"What?"

"They're here!" Li hissed, and knelt by Sakura's bed with his crossbow aimed at the door.

"Who? How?"

"Blackstock and everybody, they're all here. Sakura mumbled something about someone 'hearing' her, and that they knew we were here."

"Oh no," Tomoyo moaned softly. "What do we do?"

"Well, they obviously don't know we're in the building, or they'd be tearing it apart right now. They only know we're in the area. So they'll probably be searching the village and the surrounding countryside, like they did in Brookside. All we can do is sit tight and wait for them to leave."

Tomoyo thought guiltily of the captain. What if he changed his mind?

"What if they don't leave?"

"They have to, eventually. All we have to do is not move."

"We'll have to go outside eventually," she pointed out. "And the woman who's letting us use this room expects me to work tomorrow, remember?"

"It'll be okay. None of them except Blackstock know what I look like. And it's the same for you, right?"

She hesitated, and he took her silence for agreement.

"So all we have to do is keep Sakura and Kero out of sight. Simple enough."

"I'm glad you're not worried," Kero muttered.

"Believe me, I'm worried," Li assured him. "But I'm not ready to panic just yet. There's nothing that can be done at this point anyway; it's obvious that Sakura's not ready to go anywhere. You might as well try to sleep, Tomoyo. I'll stay up and watch the door."

"Okay," she said reluctantly. She wasn't so sure what Li could do if anybody did come through, but she spread a blanket out on the floor and lay down by the bed.

I can't believe I'm not telling him about Eriol. But what am I supposed to say? Li's right, Sakura can't be moved right now. And he let me go. Again. I know I shouldn't, but I… I kind of trust him. I don't think he will report me to his superior.

She rolled over and closed her eyes. Strangely enough, she wasn't thinking about the danger they were in. She was thinking about him. Fine, chiseled features, hair as black as hers, and eyes like sapphires. And very soft lips.

She shivered a little at the memory of their taste, and smiled. Then Kero curled up with her on the floor, and they slept.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The world was still and quiet, awaiting the sunrise. Maude, not in the best of moods, strode down the corridor and rapped sharply on the door before pushing it open. She froze when she found herself facing Li's crossbow.

"Never mind." He relaxed his hold on the weapon and sat down again, totally ignoring her flabbergasted expression.

Jumpy, she thought. What's this little group hiding?

The dark-haired girl was stirring slightly, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Come on, wake up. I've got a full house today, and most of 'em aren't even paying. I need yer help."

"Yes'm," she murmured, and sat up to stretch. Then she addressed the young man. "Will you be all right in here?"

"I just need to go outside for a few minutes, before it gets light. Then I'll be fine in here. I won't leave her."

"Thank you."

Maude's eyebrows went even further up at this little conversation, but she was a businesswoman. She had her tasks to attend to, and didn't pry into other's personal lives if she could help it.

"Come on then, hop to it. I need ye to watch the bread baking. Ye can have some fer breakfast if ye like."

"Thank you," the young woman said politely. She really did speak quite oddly, almost like a noble. She was standing now, brushing off her grubby clothing. Then she followed Maude back to the kitchen.

Tomoyo could feel her face flushing from the extreme heat, but she ignored the discomfort and leaned in closer. Maude had very graciously allowed her a couple of loaves already for breakfast, and she'd given Li and Kero their shares. Now she was determined not to let the rest of it be ruined. But she'd never worked an oven in her life, so she forced herself to pay close attention. She jumped when someone addressed her at her elbow.

"Miss? Excuse me, miss?" A scrawny little boy was standing beside her, almost buckling under the weight of the pole across his back. A pail of milk was suspended on each end.

"Yes?"

"Where's mum, then?"

"Who?"

"Tommy, there ye are." Maude appeared in the kitchen doorway, a smile on her face for the first time that day. "Come on then, you know where it goes."

"Mornin', mum," he greeted her cheerfully and crouched on the ground until the buckets touched the surface, careful not to spill a drop. "Right creamy it is, today."

"Good then. Bring it on, and be quick about it. Get yerself some bread." The freckled child grinned and hefted one of the buckets. There was a cheerful attitude about the scruffy child that made Tomoyo smile.

"Is he your grandson?"

"Aye. That's a pretty good guess on yer part." The old woman gave her a shrewd look, but Tomoyo just shrugged.

"He has your smile."

"Well," Maude said, nonplussed, "I suppose he does." The observation obviously pleased her, but she shook her head and glanced back at the oven. "Keep yer eye on that bread then, miss. It's ready to come out."

"Yes'm." Tomoyo bent over to slide the wooden rack underneath the baking bread and pull it out. It smelled wonderful, and she couldn't help feeling a little proud of how it had turned out. Carefully she slid each loaf into a wicker basket on the ground, then knelt to pick it up. That was when she realized that Tommy had reemerged from the kitchen and was munching on a crust of fresh bread, gazing at her adoringly.

"Hello."

"Hello."

"Where do you live around here?"

"With Da. We've got a farm, and three milking cows." He puffed out his chest a little, obviously proud of this fact. She smiled, and he turned pink in the ears.

"Do you have a mother?"

"Nay. Jest me and Da."

"I see." She hefted the basket and edged around him to enter the kitchen.

"Where're ye from?"

"Um… pretty far away."

"Ye talk right pretty, you do."

"Er, thank you." Tomoyo flushed a little as she saw Maude glance up from pouring the milk.

"Wot's yer name?"

"Um, Kaho." One of their teachers when she and Sakura were younger. It was the best she could think of on the spur of the moment.

"All right, Tommy, that's enough from you." Maude crossed the kitchen and leant over, fussing with his hair a little and straightening his rough cotton shirt. "Stop pestering my help. Yer father will be waitin' for ye. Tell him that ye need a new shirt, yer growin' like a weed, ye are."

"Right, mum." Reluctantly he backed away and sent another lovesick glance towards Tomoyo before turning and scampering across the courtyard.

She had to giggle. "He's adorable."

"He's a scamp, is what he is. Now then, sounds like they're comin' down. I want yer help serving."

Tomoyo was scrubbing the wooden counters' surface, and almost dropped the rag when she realized what the woman had just said.

"Me?"

"No one else here, luv."

"Serve the soldiers?"

"Bloody freeloaders. Yes, the soldiers."

"But, but, but…" Tomoyo babbled, frantically combing her mind for an excuse. "But I look awful. I can't serve food to your guests like this." She indicated the breeches and dirty tunic. Maude took in her appearance and nodded.

"Right. I can't have ye servin' food like that, fer sure." Tomoyo relaxed as Maude swept out of the kitchen. But a few moments later she returned with a simple homespun dress in her arms. "Ye can wear this. Bound to fit ye."

"Oh…but, but, but I - "

"Stop yer ditherin', miss. They're comin' down, can't you hear 'em?" She could indeed hear them. Noisy, hungry, and every one of them ready to arrest her the second they knew who she was. But Maude was pushing the dress in her arms and lifting a platter of bread.

I can't refuse. She'll turn us out, and it's broad daylight. Sakura can't even walk, still. I have no choice.

Eriol slapped strawberry preserves on a hunk of bread, chewed, and swallowed. His throat was dry, but the pitcher on his table was empty.

"Miss? Can we get some more milk here, please?"

"Yes, sir," she whispered and turned to pick up the empty pitcher. He'd just taken another bite, and immediately he began to choke on it. She had to clap him on the back a couple of times before he could swallow and begin to breathe.

"Are you all right?"

"No!" he hissed. "What the hell are you still doing here?" She shrugged slightly and turned towards the kitchen. Nobody was paying any attention, and he followed her, blocking her way. "Do you have any idea who is upstairs, right now?"

"Colonel Blackstock. I know."

"He knows what you look like, Tomoyo. If he sees you and me in the same room, he'll know I let you go and he will kill me."

"Then I suggest you let me back into the kitchen."

"Why are you still here? I let you go last night so you could run away. Not serve breakfast!"

"And I thank you for it. But I can't leave. I'm not leaving her." She looked as though she wished she could take that last part back, and he raised his eyebrows fractionally.

"The princess? Is she injured? Unable to run?" Perhaps he wouldn't need to involve Tomoyo at all. If he could find the girl and bring her to Blackstock, nobody would bother with the servant.

She saw what he was thinking and started to panic.

"Please don't," she begged. "I'm telling you, these men have no right to take her back to the General. He'll hurt her like he's hurting the prince. She doesn't deserve it."

Eriol hesitated. He was in a lot of danger now. If Blackstock figured out what had happened…

Finding the princess is the best way to solve this. But that swordsman is probably with her. And it doesn't feel right. Tomoyo's awfully brave, staying put so she can stay with the princess. It's not fair to use that against her.

"Keep your face down," he muttered. "And for the love of the gods, please be careful."

"I will." She swept past him into the kitchen to refill the milk.

"Dress looks nice on you," he said softly. He didn't think she would be able to hear, but she surprised him.

"Thank you." Then she was gone. And even though he was officially a dead man, he was smiling.

"Sakura? Can you hear me? Open your eyes if you're awake." Li was sitting on the edge of the cot, peering anxiously at her face. He was rewarded at last with a mumble and the gradual lift of her eyelids. "That's better. Try to wake up."

"Li?"

"Yes?"

"You're here…" She shifted slightly and saw Kero flying worriedly near her head. "Kero."

"That's me. How're you feeling?"

"Tired." She tried to remember what it was that had exhausted her so much. She wasn't even sure where they were, now that she looked around. What was this place?

Li tore a piece of bread off a loaf and held it to her mouth.

"Here. Eat." She was hungry, and she allowed him to feed her. The bread was obviously fresh, and tasted delicious.

"Tomoyo?"

"She's fine, for the moment. She made this for us. Enjoy it." He fed her another morsel and she swallowed, still trying to remember why she was in bed in the first place.

We were walking… and I felt this horrible pain across my back… Touya…

She yelped and sat up in bed; hastily Li shushed her and pushed her back down.  
"Li, he heard! I don't know who he is, but he tracked my magic. They know where we are!"

"I know. They're here."

"What?"

"Blackstock and the others, they're all staying at this inn. We're downstairs." She stared at him, frozen with shock. "The old woman that runs this place is letting Tomoyo help out so you can sleep here. You needed some food and medicine. You were a mess."

"Oh no," she whispered. "This is my fault. We're trapped here in the same building with the army and they'll kill you both if they find us. I shouldn't have insisted that I do that spell."

"Well, did it work?"

"Um…" She closed her eyes and concentrated. "He's healing, physically anyway. He's not going to die of infection at least." She didn't mention that overwhelming fear and anxiety that she could sense in him, how afraid her brother was for her.

"Then don't regret it. You did what you had to do. And they won't find us. They're assuming we're in the countryside; that's where most of them are right now. There's only a few of them still here."

"But the colonel's here?" He pressed his lips together and nodded, and she whimpered.

"We'll never get out of this."

"Sure we will. Don't worry about it. Just eat. You need to get your strength back. Hopefully by tonight you'll be able to travel again. We can slip out of here under cover of darkness." He fed her another piece of bread.

"But - "

"Shh. Just eat. Rest. You're not moving today, and that's final."

Why is he still here, with us? Why is he doing this?

She looked at the serious brown eyes of the man sitting on her bed as he fed her another mouthful. She knew she should beg him to go. He could walk out of here quite easily, looking the peasant that he was, and he'd be free of them. He'd taken them far enough away from his home.

But I can't. I can't imagine doing this without him. I need him. I'm so selfish, but I just can't ask him to go.

"Woman! Tea here!" Blackstock turned back toward his officers and continued to detail the day's search plans.

"Captain Jefferson, you'll be head of the west detail, and you, Captain Kabil, you'll be east. I expect all clues to be reported back to me, no matter how insignificant they may seem. Is that understood?"

"Sir, yes sir."

"And Captain Hiiragizawa – where's that bloody boy?"

"Right here, sir." The young man slid onto the bench across from him and placed a steaming mug before him. "I was walking past the kitchen and the servant gave me this for you."

"Lazy girl," the colonel grunted, but sipped his tea undisturbed. Eriol relaxed slightly, and so did Tomoyo in the doorway.

"As I was saying, Captain, you'll remain here in the village with me to direct the house-to-house searches."  
"Yes, sir." He'd rather expected more of the grouchy attitude, but the officer actually seemed relieved that he'd been stationed here in the village. Odd.

"You have your assignments. Move out."

Obediently, they stood, except for Hiiragizawa, and exited the inn. "Captain."

"Sir?"

"I haven't appreciated your attitude these past few days. I hope you know where your loyalties lie in this mission." The colonel gave him a steely gaze, but Eriol returned it unflinchingly.

"I have sworn to uphold the law, and that is what I will do."

"Good. We want the same thing, then." Blackstock stood without bothering to put any coins down for his breakfast, and turned and walked out the door.

Right. Exactly the same thing.

Eriol only hesitated for a moment before dropping enough silver on the table to cover both himself and the colonel, then stood up as well. Tomoyo was watching him from the doorway again, and he gave her a tiny nod before following Blackstock.

Her answering smile lit up the room.

Tomoyo finished scrubbing the kitchen and retreated to their room down the corridor.

"Sakura? How are you feeling?" Her friend raised her head slightly from the cot and gave her a tired smile.

"I feel as though my body's been filled with sand. I can't even imagine getting up."

"Well, that's all right. We're not going anywhere anytime soon. They're combing the village right now."

Gingerly she sat on the edge of the cot, and Li stood. "I'll just go outside for a minute of fresh air," he offered. Sakura looked as though she wanted a minute alone with her friend. "Come on, Kero."

Sakura waited until they were gone before gripping Tomoyo's hand. "I'm so scared."

"Don't be."

"I can't help it. I can't believe what kind of danger I put you in with my little spell. And now you're staying here, working in the kitchen just so I can sleep here. Why are you putting yourself through this for me?"

"Sakura, no. Don't you dare start thinking like that. I owe you everything."

"You owe my mother. I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did." Tomoyo leaned forward, serious. "Sakura, your whole life you've known that I was a nobody. You were a princess, and I was an illegitimate child. But you never looked down on me."

"You know I wouldn't."

"Of course. But so many did. I know what the nobles were talking about behind your back; I know how they looked at me. It must have been what my mother felt when she conceived. Sometimes it hurt so much, I didn't want to face anyone again. But you were always there for me, and you always stuck up for me. You didn't have to. We're friends, Sakura, sisters. And I'm not leaving you to face this alone." A few tears ran down her face, and Sakura sniffled. "I love you, you know that. There is no way I'm leaving your side."

"Thank you, Tomoyo," she sobbed. "I couldn't go on without you."

"Shh." Tomoyo bent over and they embraced fiercely. "It's going to be okay, I promise. We'll make it through together."

When Li pushed open the door to reenter the room, he found only Sakura in residence. She hastily pulled the blanket up to her chin and blushed.

"The lady that owns this place has a washbin. Tomoyo got permission from her to wash our clothes with some soap."

"Oh." Then the full impact of what she'd said hit him. She wasn't wearing anything under the blanket. "Oh." He felt his face grow red and he looked away, right into Kero's smirking face. "What are you looking at?"

Kero chuckled and didn't bother to reply, but flew across the room to land by Sakura's hair.

"Maybe," Sakura squeaked, then struggled to get her voice under control. "Um, maybe you could go give her your shirt, if you want."

"Good idea," he said quickly, and backed out of the doorway. "I'll do that." He couldn't leave fast enough, sure that his face must be the color of a tomato. What was wrong with him?

Sakura waited until he'd gone, then rolled over to glare at Kero. "What were you laughing at?"

"His face. He's so pathetically obvious about it."

"About what?"

"That he likes you."

"You don't know what you're talking about, as usual." Li hated royalty. She knew he didn't want anything to do with her.

"Believe whatever you like," he replied in a singsong voice, and she flicked him on the side of his head.

"Ouch!"

"Serves you right. Now I'm tired, so let me sleep." She closed her eyes and relaxed, drifting into slumber with a tiny smile clinging to her face. She was picturing Li without his shirt on again… lying in bed with her this time. Hugging her close as she fell asleep, holding her safe in his arms.

"Don't worry," he was whispering, in her fantasy. "I'm not going anywhere."

Tomoyo finished scrubbing their clothes and hung them on a drying line in the courtyard. At long last they would finally have clean shirts. The thought made her smile, and happily she set about turning down the beds in all the rooms. Things were going well. If they could just make it until nightfall, Sakura would probably be fit enough to travel. The thought cheered her as she filled the washbin again to bathe. It had been two days now, and it was time to clean her hair again.

Lovingly she soaked in the cold water, then emptied the water into the trough that ran out of the courtyard. By the time she was dry enough to pull on the dress and reemerge, the sun was starting to sink in the western sky. Maude was looking for her, and she drew in her breath rather sharply when Tomoyo walked in the kitchen.

"Oh, there ye are. I need ye to keep an eye on this roasting chicken."

"Yes'm." There was a shaken look about the old woman's face that started her thinking. "This was your daughter's dress, wasn't it?"

"That's right," she affirmed, a little taken aback. "My little Penelope. She died in childbirth. Poor lad never knew his mother."

"I know how that feels," Tomoyo replied.

"Hmph." Maude narrowed her eyes at the young woman as she kneaded the dough. "Who are you people? What have ye got to hide?"

"We're not hiding anything."

"Jaberwocky. Yer friend in there is jumpy as a mouse in a wolves' den. And who's the girl?"

"She's nobody," Tomoyo said firmly, and Maude sealed her lips. Her curiosity was growing about this little trio, she couldn't help herself. It didn't take much to guess that they were what the soldiers were after, but she was a purple cow if they were thieves. Why were they hiding from the law?

Li stirred and woke, feeling a little groggy. He hadn't slept any the night before, keeping watch, and he hadn't really meant to sleep during the day either. But exhaustion had caught up to him. He must have slept all afternoon.

Yawning, he sat up and stretched, then glanced over to the sleeping princess on the cot next to him. That she was still sound asleep, even after so much rest, indicated how exhausted she must have been. Kero snored gently by her side.

Sakura's face was smooth and unworried, a hint of a smile on her lips as she peacefully slept. He wondered what she was dreaming about, then let his gaze travel downwards. The blanket had shifted as she turned in her sleep, and now it was much further down her chest. He swallowed, then reached for it.

She's so beautiful. A sorceress, of royal birth… what am I doing here, in the same room, watching her sleep? We shouldn't even be breathing the same air.

Tenderly he pulled the blanket back up and tucked it under her chin. The door creaked, and he jumped to his feet and backed away.

"It's just me," Tomoyo said softly before entering. Li stared at the floor, frantically running through his sword drills in his head. He knew his face was red again, it felt as though his skin was on fire. "I've got our clothes, nice and clean." She tossed him his shirt, pretending not to notice his flaming cheeks, then set her clothing on the foot of the bed. Sakura's eyes were fluttering open again.

"Sakura, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Much better." She started to sit up, and the blanket fell away from her shoulders.

"Don't get up, don't get up," Li said hastily, and turned away to hide his eyes. Sakura blushed as she remembered.

"Whoops. Hand me my shirt, Tomoyo."

"Here you go." She blushed even further when she saw the knowing look in those violet eyes.

"Thanks. I'm feeling a lot better. I think I can stand now." Gingerly she stepped onto the floor and stood up, then pulled on her breeches.

"Well?" Tomoyo inquired.

"I'm a little dizzy, but I think I can walk."

"Well, it's still daylight outside. We can't go anywhere just yet. And I'm helping Maude prepare dinner for the guests."

"But what about the soldiers? Blackstock?" Was it her imagination, or did Tomoyo hesitate just a little?

"Don't worry, Sakura. I handled the morning meal all right. And if I help her wash the dishes and serve, I think she'll pay me in coins."

"Well, I suppose that it's worth it…"

"I think it is." Sakura nodded as she belted in her tunic, then took a few unsteady steps. Her knees felt like jelly, and she wondered whether she was really up for hiking that night.

"Here." Li braced himself under her arm to support her. "Did you want to try and go outside?"

"Yes, I'm a little desperate. And I need the fresh air." Tomoyo walked ahead of them down the little hallway.

"Go ahead and stay with her, Li, I think it'll be all right. None of the soldiers have returned yet. I need to go put feed in the horses' troughs."

"I can help," Sakura offered, but Tomoyo shook her head.

"It's an unnecessary risk, Sakura. Besides, I can do it fine on my own. You just get used to walking again."

She led them through the kitchen and out into the yard, then crossed it for the stables. Big burlap sacks sat in a heap inside the doorway, mice nibbling at the holes where grain spilled out. There was a scoop, and it was easy enough, if a rather lengthy task, to walk back and forth and fill each trough. Only two horses were in their stalls, the rest of the soldiers out searching the countryside. The colonel's beautiful palomino, and Ruby. Tomoyo paused by her stall and held out some scraps of fruit that she'd saved from the kitchen.

"Hello, girl. Do you remember me?" Ruby bared her teeth and whinnied, but Tomoyo didn't flinch. "Shh. Come on, it's a treat. Good stuff. Don't you want it?" She held out her outstretched hand again, and this time Ruby lowered her head to sniff. Then she swept the scraps of pear off her hand. "Good girl. That's much better." Delicately she reached out and placed her hand on the smooth and velvety nose. Ruby snorted a little, but didn't back away, and Tomoyo began to stroke her.

"She must like you." Tomoyo didn't turn away from the horse to face him, though she knew Eriol was lounging in the doorway to the stables.

"I'm flattered."

"You should be. She rarely lets anybody touch her. And she's a very good judge of character."

"Does it take a horse to convince you that I'm not a criminal?"

"I know you're not a criminal."  
"Then why are you helping the General hunt for us? Don't you see that he's the true criminal?"

Eriol was silent at that and watched her murmur softly into Ruby's constantly flicking ears. "Why are you still here? I kept him away from the inn all day so you could get away."

"Too many soldiers in the countryside. And she can't walk any distance yet."

He wondered what had happened to the princess.

I can't believe that she's staying with her, putting herself at so much risk. There's obviously more to this servant than meets the eye.

Unable to help himself, he drew closer to the young woman.

"You're better than all this running and hiding, you know that, Tomoyo. Why don't you let me help you get away? You don't deserve to go through all this."

"I would never leave her side. She's my best friend."

He had to admire her loyalty, even if it led her to her doom.

"You're lucky that I offered to check on the colonel's horse for him, you know."

"Yes, I'm very lucky," she said slowly, then turned her face to look at him for the first time. Those violet eyes ensnared him, held him transfixed. "Lucky that you're here. You're not like the other soldiers."

"Thank you."

"You have a mind, you like to think. Think on this, Eriol. Deep down, you know that the princess doesn't deserve to be caught and taken back to the General. You won't hurt her, and you won't hurt me. I can see it in your eyes."

"Really?"

"I'm very good at reading people."

"Are you?" He placed a hand over hers on the stall door. "Then what am I thinking about right now?"

He was leaning forward slightly, tickling her face with his breath. Tomoyo trembled slightly. She knew exactly what he was thinking about, because she was thinking about the same thing. But she was scared. He was technically the enemy, and she shouldn't even be talking to him like this… let alone contemplating another kiss…

She was saved by Ruby, who whinnied a little impatiently and thrust her head between them.

"Ouch," he snapped, and rubbed the side of his head where she'd butted him. "Can't you go two minutes without attention, damn it?"

The moment was gone, and Tomoyo backed away. "I have to get back to the kitchen. Goodbye." She slipped out the doorway in the growing dusk, and he didn't bother to follow her. Instead he leaned against the stall door and glared at his horse.

"I suppose I should thank you," he growled. "Getting involved with a fugitive is the last thing I need if I ever want to make lieutenant colonel." He nodded to himself as Ruby nudged his arm, impatient for more affection. "It's not like I like her or anything. I don't even know her. I've let her go, but that's as far as it gets." A sharp pain elicited a yelp on his part. She'd bitten him.

"Ouch! You watch your mouth, young lady. I know what I'm talking about. She doesn't mean anything to me. I just feel sorry for her, that's all. And maybe I respect her a little too, putting herself in danger for her friend. But that's it. Nothing more." He nodded determinedly to his mare before striding out the stables and walking around to the front of the inn. It was time for dinner.

Reluctantly Sakura disengaged herself from Li and took a few steps on her own.

"Are you sure you're all right? You seem a little dizzy still, to me."

"Well, I am, I suppose. But I'm sure it'll clear up when I start walking. I mean, what choice do we have?"

Li was about to suggest that they remain there for another day when Maude poked her out of the doorway.

"Kaho? Where's yer friend?"

"Um…" Sakura glanced toward the stables, but there was no sign of Tomoyo. "She's feeding the horses. Please, tell me what I can do."

The old woman gave her a skeptical glance, but she was in a hurry. "Come on, then, I need ye to clean those tables right quick. The lot will be in soon for their dinner."

"Of course," Sakura said immediately. She entered the kitchen and found an old rag, dunking it in a pail of water. "I'm only too glad to help. You've been so kind, allowing us to stay here today." She directed a glowing smile to Maude, who lost track of her thoughts for a moment. This young beauty was no peasant, and she spoke as well as the other one. Who was she?

"No," Li objected. "Too dangerous. Let me."

He spoke more like how he dressed, unlike the girls. And his hands were callused and tough, like a worker's. How did he fit in with the other two?

Sakura saw the calculating look in Maude's eyes and winced. Already they were acting suspicious.

"He knows what you look like just as much as me, Li. Come on, T – Kaho can't be going in there either, once Blackstock's in the room. This needs to be done quickly." She handed him another rag, and they hastily began to wipe clean the wooden tabletops. Above her head she could hear the sounds of the soldiers in their rooms, splashing their faces with the water kept in clay jugs by their beds. They had a few minutes yet. They'd be all right. She was already done –

"Woman, have you seen a girl pass through here today? Short brown hair, green eyes?" She had almost walked into the kitchen, and she froze. That was the colonel himself in there, questioning Maude. Li reached for the pendant under his shirt.

"Wot do you think yer doin' in here, then? This is my kitchen!"

"Answer the question, old lady!"

"I haven't seen any girls here today, ye got that? Now git out!"

Maude pressed her lips together and nodded curtly towards the door. This arrogant man had strode in through the courtyard entrance, obviously hoping to take her by surprise. He was the leader of the group, she knew, the reason why she had so many unpaying customers. She supposed that she really ought to tell him about the girl and her friends, it was bound to get nasty if they were discovered, but she had had enough of their lordly ways. If this young lady had something they wanted, then they could just do without it.

He straightened his back and glared at her, then turned to enter the main room.

"Be quick with dinner tonight. My men and I are hungry."

Sakura gave Li a panicky look, and he realized that a fight wasn't possible right then. Not only was Blackstock coming through the doorway, men were trooping down the stairs. Sakura was still too weak; she'd never be able to run. And he had no idea how to grab Tomoyo and Kero fast enough. Making a split second decision, he grabbed Sakura's shirt and pulled her under the long table in the middle of the room. The sunlight was gone now, and in the flickering candlelight, the shadows should conceal them. Hopefully. It was too late to back out now, already soldiers were spilling into the room, seating themselves.

Oh gods, Sakura thought frantically as the colonel pulled out a chair right beside her and sat in it. She was practically brushing his knee with her nose. All he had to do was move his legs just a little…

Li held out his hand to her and motioned her forward. She had to crawl past the colonel; she couldn't stay where she was. If they could crawl down the table, to the end that met the wall, they'd be safer.

She shook her head, too terrified to move. Again he beckoned. Hesitantly, she put her hand on the floor and tried to crawl between the legs on either side of her.

"No signs of them?" the colonel snarled, and banged his fists on the table above her head with particular vehemence. She froze. "What do you mean, no signs of them?"

"Sir, we searched painstakingly. But there's no sign anywhere in the surrounding countryside of any camping. There was a trail leading to the village that matches their party, but it disappears in the more well-trodden areas."

"She must have come into the village, damn it. Did you question everybody?"

"Every soul we met, sir. But no one has seen her."

"Or they were lying about it. We know she was here, Salfrek never made a mistake before."

Salfrek? Sakura frowned, trying to recall that name. She'd heard it somewhere before, she was sure…

Li waved to get her attention and motioned her to crawl forward. He was starting to look a little impatient. Fearfully she shook her head. She couldn't do it, she was too afraid. All it would take was one little brush, and he would know she was there. They wouldn't have a chance.

Damn it, thought Li. She can't stay there; it's too dangerous. He crawled closer and leaned in until his lips were brushing her ear.

"Sakura." He was taking a terrible risk, talking like this. What if somebody heard?

"Don't - "

"Sakura, I believe you."

What? She wrinkled her nose in confusion, and he leaned in again.

"About your father. I don't think he knew."

Her eyes flew open in surprise, it was so unexpected. He grinned a little at her reaction, then started to scoot backwards. After a second's deliberation, she crept past the colonel and followed. It was a journey that took forever, but when they finally reached the end of the table she was able to breathe. There was no candle above their heads here at the end, and Li hoped that it would be dark enough to hide them. He leaned against the wall and stretched out his legs and Sakura pressed up close against him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "This is my fault."

"No, it's their fault. You just got caught in a bad place."

This isn't such a bad place, thought Sakura. His arms were wrapped around her and their noses were practically touching, they were so close. The enemy was all around them and she was scared stiff, but it was impossible to drag her attention away from Li's mouth.

Li was finding it difficult to breathe. She was so close, they were almost inhaling each other's breath. He could feel her heartbeat against his chest. All it took was a tiny movement on his part, and his lips brushed hers. She quivered slightly in his arms, but she clutched his shirt and pulled herself closer, meeting him in the kiss.

It was the first time for either of them, an experience heightened by the danger surrounding them. Instinctively his hands slid further down her body, holding her to him as he parted her lips with his tongue. She allowed him in, pressing even harder against his body, wishing that she could moan out loud but forcing herself to stay silent. And silently they kissed, for a long, long time.

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	10. ch9 honor

Chapter 9 

'**honor'**

"Kero, where's Sakura?"

The little creature looked up from the bed, startled. "You mean she's not in the kitchen?"

Tomoyo frowned and shook her head as she handed Kero his dinner.

"I can't find her or Li anywhere. Do you suppose they had to duck and cover?"

"Possible. Did you check the washbin shed? Or the stables?"

"I'm sure they're not in the stables. I'll check the washbin, though. Maybe Sakura decided to bathe." A crash of thunder made her jump, and she rubbed her arms nervously. With all the soldiers back and eating in the main room, Sakura really ought to be hiding in the room.

She walked back to the kitchen, where Maude was pouring more ale into giant mugs.

"Where've ye been, girl? I need ye to take these out!"

"I'm sorry. I was looking for my friends, have you - "

"Run out there, they did." Maude pointed casually into the dining area, noting the stark fear that crossed the other's face when she did so.

"They ran into that room?"

"Aye, ten minutes ago. Right before the soldiers came trooping down. 'Spect they slipped out the front door."

Tomoyo peeked out the doorway at all the men eating. Obviously Li and Sakura had not been spotted, everyone was dining calmly. But if they'd made it out of the inn, where had they gone?

"Come on, luv, hop to it."

"Yes'm." Tomoyo grasped the heavy tray and toted it out into the room. Even in the dim light, she could see Eriol's eyes following her across the room. They were such an intense blue, and she had to swallow and look away.

Concentrate, Tomoyo. Blackstock is sitting right over there. All he has to do is turn around, and you're spotted. You've got to be careful.

Timidly she stepped around the room, handing each soldier a drink. When she was standing directly behind him, hardly daring to breathe, she picked up the last two mugs with trembling hands. Eriol was sitting a few seats away, watching nervously. He had as much to lose as she did if she was discovered now.

Blackstock glanced at the windows as another crash of thunder rattled them, and swore colorfully.

"Damn it. If it rains it'll make tracking impossible. Who knows where she is right now."

He picked up the mug that the girl had just placed by his side and sipped it moodily. "She just can't get away again, the General will be furious."

Tomoyo retreated back into the kitchen, her heart beating fast and hard. She'd made it, by the narrowest of margins. Her hands were shaking, and she collapsed against the doorframe with relief.

"If yer so bloody scared, luv, ye should just say so. Ye can stay back here and clean the dishes now." Maude was giving her a sharp, knowing look, and she quickly shook her head.

"Oh no. I'm not scared."

"Right. Hiding something, ye are."

"No, we're not - "

"Come on then, tell me what it is. Why's that man poking around, looking fer yer little friend?"

"Uh…" Tomoyo cast about for a story, but she was totally blank.

"Pretty, she is. Reminds me of the good queen."

"Well, I - "

"I did think it was a shame when I heard of wot happened in the capital. The good king and queen killed, and their little girl still missing." Maude shook her head sorrowfully, paying no attention to Tomoyo's expression. "I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to the little princess, no. She deserves better than that lot in there, I know that much." She nodded to Tomoyo and swept into the room with a bowl of mashed potatoes.

Feeling a little drained, Tomoyo nibbled on a carrot. This woman was obviously clever, but she seemed to have decided on keeping them quiet, like Eriol.

For those two weeks before we met Li, it seemed as though nobody was on our side. People were scared of the soldiers and the liability of hiding us, nobody was willing to help. I thought we were all alone in the world. But there are people who are ready to stand up against them, even if they can't fight like Li.

Tomoyo realized that she was beginning to smile. Somehow, that gave her more hope than anything else had in the past couple of weeks. Sakura was not alone in hating the new government. They might be momentarily silent, but there were people on their side.

She knelt to begin washing dishes.

Eriol watched his superior officer pace in the common room, his scowl occasionally illuminated by another flash of lightning.

"Sir, we've obviously missed them. I suggest we continue up the road."

"Acknowledged, captain, but not agreed to. After searching all day the men have been unable to find any trail leading away from the village, and they're bound to be sitting tight in this weather. I'm convinced that they're still in the area. I want everybody to search the village again, comb every building and home."

There were the faintest of groans around the room, and the colonel stiffened and glared. Immediately the men shut up.

"I'm not going back to the palace without that girl, and nobody else is either. So be prepared for a long night, men. She won't get away this time."

Sakura watched his boots pace back and forth on the floor next to them, and tried somehow to melt even further into Li's arms. She was shaking, she was so scared, and the turbulent weather outside wasn't helping. Sakura had never been afraid of thunder, she'd even controlled it at times with the Card, but it added to the tense atmosphere of the room. He was dividing up the village now, directing men to the different homes.

"And don't forget to hunt in stables and barns. Check the stables here, too."

Eriol spoke up again. "I examined them thoroughly earlier this evening, sir. I'm positive that no one slept in them last night."

"Check them again anyway."

He paused in his pacing, right by Sakura's feet. She cringed and tried to shrink further back into the shadows. "Just a moment… is there a basement in this building?"

Maude looked up from clearing the dishes and shook her head. "Nay, sir, never been no basement here."

"All of these rooms have been checked, haven't they?"

"Sir," Eriol admonished. "Surely you don't think they'd be silly enough to stay in an inn, do you? With all these men here?"

"Perhaps they were thinking we would never suspect it. You two," he indicated Captain Hiiragizawa and the officer next to him, "you make a thorough search of this building. Just in case. Then you can join in the search through the village."

"Yes sir," they both replied, and stood.

"I'll take this level," Eriol offered, and strode into the kitchen. Tomoyo was on her knees, scrubbing dishes in a low trough of water. She glanced up as he entered, anxiety in her eyes.

"Where have you been sleeping?" he hissed, and she nodded toward the tiny corridor on his right. "Go. Go now, and be quiet." He pulled her to her feet and pushed her through the little doorway.

They are so lucky – this time.

Blackstock was the only man in the room now, still pacing restlessly by the fireplace. Li wondered whether he ought to roll out. He could kill him before the man even had a chance to look up. He didn't think he could hang on much longer, with Sakura in his arms like this. It was pure torture having her so close. The way she was clutching at him so desperately, how frail and vulnerable her slim body felt…

"Sir, there is definitely no trace of the princess or her friends in this building." Another soldier had just walked in through the kitchen, interrupting his thoughts. They both relaxed a tiny bit. Tomoyo and Kero must have been able to hide in time.

The colonel snarled a little and glared at Eriol as though it was his fault. Which technically, Eriol supposed, it rather was. But there was no need for Blackstock to know that.

"Right, then. It was a long shot, I suppose. Go out to the eastern side of the village, captain, and supervise the house-to-house searches. Pay particular attention to stables, barns, root cellars, anything. They're bound to be holing up somewhere in this weather."

"Yes, sir."

The soldier saluted and left the room through the main door, leaving Blackstock's boots alone once more on the floor before them. Just when Li was about to break away from Sakura, the soldier from upstairs returned.

"Sir, there is no evidence that anyone but the soldiers and a few accounted travelers have been up in those rooms."

"Acknowledged. Go join the party on the western side of the village for the house-to-house searches, captain. I expect to be informed of any tiny anomaly."

"Yes sir. And where will I report to?"

"Hmm. I'll remain here at headquarters to wait for news. And unless she's found, I better not see anyone's face tonight, understand? Nobody's coming back to sleep until the princess is in my custody."

"Yes sir," the soldier replied, his voice a little glum. He also saluted and turned to go outside. The colonel's boots paused, then paced a little more, then stopped by the fire.

Cautiously, Li peeked out. Blackstock was leaning against the fireplace, his arms braced against the thick stone mantlepiece. He was facing away from them; now was their chance. He prodded Sakura; she stiffened and shook her head.

Not again, he thought, and gave her a pleading look. There was no telling how long Blackstock would linger in the room, they couldn't stay there forever. He knew he really ought to just roll out and kill the man. But something in him rebelled against murdering an unprepared and unwary enemy, and it would create problems. A body was only evidence that they were there, and he didn't want that. Not while the village was still crawling with soldiers.

"Go," he mouthed, and this time she obeyed, inching off of him and across the earthen floor as silently as she'd learned in the forest. The colonel was lost in his thoughts as he gazed at the flames, and never saw his quarry creep out of the room and into the kitchen. Tomoyo was nowhere to be seen, and the two of them tiptoed down the corridor and into the room once more. Sakura didn't dare breathe until Li had shut the door and she sat on the bed next to her friend to share a hug.

"Are you two okay?" Tomoyo whispered, sensing the need for quiet. "Where have you been?"

"Really long story." Sakura watched Li pick up his bow and sit across the door. He wasn't looking her in the eye now, and her shoulders slumped a little. "They're all over the village; I don't think we're going to make it out of here tonight. Are we, Li?"

She hoped then that he might look at her, but he only grunted an affirmative and continued to stare at the door. Tomoyo saw Sakura bite her lip and look away. "We'll never get out of the village, especially in this thunderstorm. I guess we're stuck here for another night."

Tomoyo nodded, looking carefully at both of their faces. There was definitely something going on there, but this wasn't the time to pry.

"Why don't you go ahead and go to sleep?"

"I'm not tired. I slept all today and last night." Sakura slid off the bed and onto the floor. "You're the one that worked all day, Tomoyo. You take the bed, try to get some rest."

"If you're sure…"

"I'm sure."

"All right, then." Tomoyo laid Penelope's dress carefully over the foot of the bed and lay down. The tense silence of the room was overwhelming, and she had to force herself to concentrate on falling asleep.

Breathe in, breathe out. Try to sleep, Tomoyo, you need your rest.

It wasn't working, she was too scared. Strangely, the only thing that gave her any comfort was the thought of Eriol. She could feel his strong arms around her as they rode on his horse, his gentle hands as they covered hers, his soft lips pressing against her own. In her mind, he was like a barrier against the formidable Blackstock, a shield.

I know it. I don't know how I know it, but I know he won't ever let anything happen to me. Eriol…

At last she slipped into slumber.

It was torture, but somehow Sakura managed to hang on until both Kero and Tomoyo were breathing deeply and evenly, sound asleep. Once more she tried to make eye contact with Li, but failed.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

"Nothing."

"No." She shook her head. "No, you can't say that. You can't just say 'nothing' after that kiss."

He didn't answer.

"Tell me. Was it - " she gulped a little, "- not good for you?"

"No!" he said quickly, and gave her a brief glance before returning his stare to the door. His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes betrayed his desire. "It – it was a mistake. It shouldn't have happened, and it won't happen again."

It most certainly would not happen again. He swallowed, trying to ignore the hurt in her eyes.

Not good for me? She actually thinks it might not have been good for me? Oh gods, Sakura, it was wonderful. And holding you in my arms afterward for so long was the most exquisite pain I've ever experienced. Please don't ask me to do it again. I'm not strong enough.

"A mistake?" she repeated. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes. He wasn't looking at her all; he obviously didn't care. "You didn't want to?"

"No," he choked. "Please, just – just don't talk about it. Go to sleep."

"I can't sleep."

"Do it anyway," he begged. If he had to sit here and look at her face for one more second, if he had to exchange any more words with her, he would lose all self-control.

She hesitated, clearly wounded, then turned away from him and stretched out on top of the blanket. Another flash of lightning from the tiny window illuminated the curves of her body.

He had to close his eyes, but even that didn't help too much. In all the years of training, of the toughest combat regimen known to the kingdom, he'd never had to endure anything like this.

Why? his body cried. Why? Why?

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Neither slept that night. Sakura felt the tears slide down her face as she listened to the rain fall outside, interspersed with the occasional crash of thunder. What had happened to her world?

It was my first kiss. And it was so amazing, so wonderful… it was everything I thought a first kiss would be. But now he won't even look in me in the eye. Why am I crying about it? I don't even know him. What am I doing, kissing some peasant that I barely know? It's only been a few weeks; am I so unfaithful?

Her heart gave a little wrench at that thought, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She was confused, the simple rules had all been swept away. And now she didn't know what to do.

Li watched the window lighten gradually. The sun would most likely not be making an appearance that day; the sky outside was still overcast and rumbling with thunder. The rain had stopped, at least.

We're leaving today. I don't care if it's daylight, I don't care if I have to knock down a dozen soldiers in our way, I can't stay here cooped up in this room with her anymore.

Abruptly he rolled to his feet and left the room. He needed a breath of fresh air.

I didn't handle that right, I know. She's hurting, and I didn't mean to do that. But what else could I do? It had to stop, I couldn't let it go on any longer.

Maude was up and kneading some dough in her kitchen, and he walked past her to get outside without acknowledging her presence. Outside, everything was still and expectant, waiting for more rain.

Everything will be different now. I should just go. I should just turn around and go back home like I ought to. My father's cabin needs to be rebuilt, I need to get on with my life. I can't face her again.

Eriol tried to hide a yawn as he gazed at the boarding house. A whole night of fruitless searches, invading people's homes and their privacy in the name of finding the princess, when he knew darn well that she wasn't in any of them. It hadn't been the greatest of nights, and he was in a bad temper.

"Nobody else seems to have returned yet, sir," one of the soldiers with him pointed out. "Perhaps we were a little too hasty in our search?"

"You're welcome to go back over the same territory again," he replied testily. "I think it's fairly clear that she's not in this village. Does anyone disagree?" The few men with him shuffled and looked away, wanting to affirm but frightened of the consequences with the colonel. "Right then. You have my permission to return to your rooms and freshen up for breakfast. We'll see what our leader plans on doing next."

To waste our time, he thought, but didn't say that part out loud. Instead he turned away from the inn to go around to the stables. With all this ominous thunder, he wanted to check on Ruby.

Most of the men gladly retreated into the building, but one of them held back, watching the captain.

"I want you to keep an eye on Captain Hiiragizawa," the colonel had told him in confidence. "You've served for years, and no one supercedes you in loyalty, lieutenant. I trust you, and I don't trust him. Just keep an eye on him."

The young man allowed the captain to get some distance away, then followed him around the side of the building. The captain disappeared into the stables, and he was about to follow when someone emerged from behind the old shed across the courtyard.

Feeling somewhat relieved, Li returned to the courtyard stretching and yawning. There was a soldier near the stables watching him, and by habit he averted his eyes. There was no need for anyone to suspect anything –

Wait.

He glanced up and made eye contact, wishing that he hadn't. There was no mistaking that face. And by the look in the other's eyes, he could see that he'd been recognized as well. He froze.

"Well, well, well," the lieutenant said lazily, drawing his sword. "It's been a few years. So good to see you again, Li."

"I wish I could say the same," Li replied, giving small mock bow. "Jered of Stonyglen."

The other man returned his bow, grinning.

"And you, Li of – well, I don't suppose you have a family name, now do you?" He sauntered a little closer, and Li backed away from the inn. "I can't believe it's really you. When the rumors started flying that a man of the King's Own was helping the princess, I did wonder. But I was sure that you couldn't really be that stupid. And yet here you are."

Li shrugged. "Here I am. Nice to see that you did so well since getting kicked out of our classes, Jered. Lieutenant. I'm impressed." The blonde soldier bristled just a little.

"I've done all right. Certainly it helps that I don't have to lie to my superiors. And now… now that you've had to leave the palace in disgrace, you've become a criminal. Good work, Li."

He was still coming closer, and Li pulled his pendant out from under his shirt. He and Jered may have never really gotten along when they were training together, but he was still a former classmate.

"I don't want to fight you, Jered. You'd be smart if you just let me go on my way." He noticed Jered stared at the pendant with a touch of envy before looking back up to his face.

"Spoken like a true commoner. Don't you understand the meaning of 'duty', Li? Or does the sense of purpose in a noble's life just fly right over your head?"

Li forced himself to exhale, and didn't reply.

Sakura watched Tomoyo stir slightly on the bed, and her breathing become more shallow. She'd be up soon, probably. Sakura herself had barely slept a wink all night, too aware of the young man sitting up and keeping watch over her. He'd left the room some time ago, and had not yet returned.

Where is he? He should have been back by now. What if he decided to just leave? Would he do that?

She glanced at the bow and quiver lying by her blanket, and wondered if he would leave them behind for her if he did decide to walk out. As if she cared about having weapons to defend herself with. She didn't want Li to leave her. The thought of him gone made her stomach knot up in panic, and she rolled to her feet.

I know that he hates me, that he thinks that kiss was a mistake. But I can't stand sitting here and wondering if he's walked out of my life forever. I have to find him. I have to try.

She tiptoed down the corridor into the kitchen. She was about to ask Maude if she'd seen him when she heard a snatch of a conversation outside in the courtyard.

"That's what I thought. Only thinking of yourself and what you can get out of it. She must really be rewarding you well for your aid."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I think I do. And now I'm presenting you with a choice. You can go and get her, wherever she's hiding, and bring her to me, or I can kill you right here and now. Without you around, I'm sure we can track her down pretty easily."

Li never took his eyes off of Jered's face. He still hadn't activated his sword. "I won't let you touch a hair on her head," he said coldly. "You will have to kill me first."

"That's fine by me." A slight sound made them both turn their heads. Sakura was standing in the kitchen doorway, her hands over her mouth as she watched the exchange.

Jered's eyes lit up.

"There she is!" He started in her direction, but Li kicked him sharply in the ribs, making him groan and double over.

"Move!" he shouted to Sakura, as he whirled around and connected his heel to Jered's temple. Somehow, he still wasn't sure if he could bring himself to kill Jered. They had never been friends, but he had been a comrade. Maybe he wouldn't have to.

Sakura dashed back down the corridor. Their time here was up, that much she was certain of, and she had to get her friends.

"Tomoyo! Kero! Wake up!" Frantically she shook Tomoyo's shoulder. After three weeks of living on the run, they'd all become accustomed to going from sleep to alertness in a matter of seconds, and they both jerked awake.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Get your boots on, quick." Sakura stooped to pick up the bow and quiver of arrows. "We have to go." Scared, Tomoyo nodded and pulled on her boots, then looped Kero's satchel over her shoulder and grabbed their waterbags. "Come on, quick!" Sakura grabbed her friend's hand and they both scrambled down the corridor and back into the kitchen. Maude was now standing in the far back corner, clutching a broom apprehensively.

"Sorry we have to run out," Tomoyo apologized in a soft voice. "But it's time for us to go." She barely had time to drop Eriol's coins on the table before Sakura pulled her out into the courtyard. Outside, Li and the soldier were still fighting.

"You're a fool to not use your sword, Li. Why don't you fight me blade to blade?"

"I don't want to kill you, Jered. You're a classmate. I'm willing to let you go on your way."

"I have my mission, Li. You're not getting away with the princess, not this time. She belongs back in the palace, unlike you." Once again he lunged for Li, who narrowly evaded his blade. Sakura and Tomoyo were huddled in the doorway of the washbin shed, watching. This fight couldn't continue much longer, there were bound to be more soldiers soon. At long last he activated his sword and raised it to block Jered's downswing. The metallic clang carried across the still morning, reaching Eriol in the stables. Curious, he left Ruby's side to peek out of a generous knothole in the wooden siding.

Wow. So it's true. A man of the King's Own really is with her. I remember him, he's the peasant I saw in the other village. The one that walked like a fighter. I should have listened to my instincts.

But he didn't really feel much regret, nor did he move to go assist his fellow soldier. Instead he simply watched.

Gareth had never gone to bed the night before. Dozing in one of the chairs in the common room, the clash of blades penetrated his subconscious and he jerked awake.

What was that noise?

He frowned and stood to stretch, then listened carefully. Yes, there was definitely a swordfight going on outside the kitchen. His weapons were up in his room, but one of his men had left a crossbow and a couple of arrows in the main room. Sloppy, but lucky for him. He snatched them up and strode through the kitchen. It was with a grim satisfaction that he recognized the peasant fighting his soldier.

I knew it. I just knew that they were hiding somewhere in this village. And she can't be far.

He slapped an arrow into his bow and raised it.

Sakura and Li both saw the colonel emerge from the building at the same time. She yanked hard on Tomoyo's shirt and dragged her into the shed just in time, holding Li's bow at the ready. She should shoot him, she knew, shoot him before he had a chance to shoot Li. The memory of her last miserable attempt with a bow and arrow held her back though, knowing that a failed arrow would only alert him to their location.

Li saw Blackstock raising his bow and aiming for him out of the corner of his eye, and reacted instinctively. Knocking Jered's sword to the side, he reached forward and grabbed his tunic, pulling him forward just in time. Jered didn't even have a chance to struggle before the arrow lodged itself in his back, and he stared at Li in shock.

"Sorry," he muttered in a low voice. He hadn't wanted to. But sometimes a person had no choice.

Blackstock swore when he realized that he'd killed one of his own men.

"You'll pay for that," he promised, and began to reload. Li was exposed, there was nowhere to run. He dropped Jered to the ground and began to sprint for the closest cover that he could see: an old wheeled cart left out in the courtyard.

The colonel finished reloading but by the time he'd raised the bow and took aim, the criminal was safe behind his cover.

"You can't stay hidden there forever, boy. Tell me where she is." Warily the colonel took a step forward, his boots squelching in the mud. A cold breeze smelling of more rain blew, and there was another rumble of thunder overhead.

"Not a chance."

"Do it, and I'll kill you quickly."

"Go to hell."

Sakura peeked out of the doorway to see Blackstock beginning to approach Li's cover. Should she try to hit him? He was only getting further away now.

Blackstock paused at a reasonably safe distance, unable to see what his target was doing.

"We know who you are, peasant. We know what you did, parading as a noble and lying to your teachers for all those years."

"Good for you."

"You're nothing, you know that? A nobody. Not only are you an insignificant commoner, you pretended to be something that you weren't. You're unnatural."

Li swallowed and leaned his head back against the wet wood.

"You can't tell me that I'm nothing. You're a little more scared than that."

Gareth snarled a little and gripped his bow. It was true that he was wary, without his sword to defend himself with, but he would not admit to being scared of this commoner.

"You're worse than nothing. You defied the natural order of class, you acted above yourself, and you lied to your instructors. You defiled the nobility with your dishonor."

Li clutched his sword's handle and tried to block out the man's words. He knew that Blackstock was only trying to demoralize him, trying to throw him off. But his words were cutting into him all the same. "Just give it up, boy. You know you can't win. Tell me where she is."

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do."

"So high and mighty," the colonel chided. "At what price does this pride come, I wonder?"

Li frowned quizzically. What had he meant by that? Then he saw what the colonel was looking at, and his heart skipped a beat. A skinny freckled boy was standing several paces to Li's left, shaking so hard with fear that the two pails of milk suspended from his shoulders tumbled to the ground. The thick white liquid spilled out, stained by the mud.

"Tommy!" shrieked Maude from the doorway.

"Quiet, woman," Blackstock snapped. "Or you'll be next. What do you say, peasant? Willing to let a little boy die for your princess? Or are you ready to be reasonable?"

Above their heads, another roll of thunder made itself heard.

Eriol gasped at this turn of events. He couldn't believe what the colonel was threatening to do.

I knew he was overstepping his bounds, taking advantage of people. But to shoot a little boy, just to find the princess? He can't be serious. He cannot possibly be willing to do that.

"Tommy," Tomoyo whispered, panicked. Her little friend was out there, totally exposed, no way to defend himself. "He's serious, Sakura. He's going to shoot him."

The princess closed her eyes and drew a shaky breath.

She couldn't let that little boy die. But she couldn't go back to the General; she couldn't resign herself to that fate. Who was more important?

Tommy was shaking as he stared at the arrow pointing at his head, his freckles standing out on his white face. Li crept to the edge of his cover and spoke again.

"You got some nerve, talking about honor. Is a true noble ready to murder a child, just to get what he wants? Is that the law and order you're working for? Killing little kids?"

Good point, thought Eriol, his fingers restlessly tapping the hilt of his sword. I should go out there and confront him. But to attack my own commanding officer? I can't do that.

"You don't even understand the concept of honor, boy. I have my mission, and I will see it through. The princess belongs to the General now, and I don't care who I have to kill to make sure that it happens. She's needed for the well-being of the people."

"You mean those that you don't kill while trying to find her."

"I mean the common good. Peasants like yourself have no concept of what's good for those around you. You're only thinking of yourself and your needs. The General and I know what's needed for the kingdom, and we'll do whatever's necessary to obtain it."

Li returned his sword its pendant form and pulled it on over his head. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to do, but to jump out and attack was out of the question. The colonel was too far away.

"I can't let this happen," Sakura whispered. Listening to the colonel talk made her feel sick. That anybody could ever think a cause was so important as to sacrifice a child bewildered her. She could see the owner of the inn, white-faced and clutching the doorway for support as she watched her grandson be used as a pawn in their battle.

My cause is not that important; I can't let this boy die for me. I think the Kinomotos deserve to be in power because they care about the people. It's time to prove myself right.

She shoved the bow into Tomoyo's hands and hissed at her to keep back and keep quiet.

"Stop!"

Blackstock twisted to face the shed and found himself pointing his bow at the princess herself, her hands raised in surrender.

"Please!"

_Now_, thought Li, and pushed himself away from the cart. It wasn't easy to scoop up Tommy and cross the gap in the courtyard without tripping on the spilled buckets of milk, but he managed anyway. Just in time he dove behind the cover of the ramshackle fence.

Gareth swore as his arrow just missed the man's feet, and Maude collapsed with relief against the doorframe. The colonel pulled the first arrow out of his soldier's body and slapped it in the groove.

"You," he ordered the princess, "get down on your knees. I'll deal with you later. Your little friend and I have some business to attend to." Obediently Sakura got down on her hands and knees in the barnyard mud, trying to quell the panic rising within her. She'd saved the boy's life, that was all that mattered. There was no point in whimpering about her fate now.

Li dragged Tommy along the fence, holding his finger to his lips. They were no safer here than behind the cart, the colonel would surely come around the end in a moment. They had to get as far away as possible, but it went no further than the edge of the yard before ending. He was trapped, and likely to die in a moment. And then there would be no way for Sakura to escape. He couldn't let that happen to her. He couldn't just accept losing, he refused to die quietly at this man's hand. Li reactivated his sword, much to the amazement of little Tommy.

I don't know what I'm going to do, but I refuse to surrender. I'll die fighting if I have to.

They already know where we are, Sakura realized. There's no reason to hold back from magic. She began to draw a star in the mud before her.

Blackstock drew closer to the fence. "Come on out, then, there's nowhere left to run. She's my prisoner, and you've lost. You failed, in every way. Time to end this."

They'd reached the end. Li pushed Tommy down onto his stomach and whispered for him to stay put. It was indeed time to end this fight, one way or another.

Li launched himself upwards, rolling over the top of the fence and landing with his sword raised and at the ready. The colonel was taken aback, but raised his bow and released.

Sakura finished drawing and uttered a few words, making the mud shimmer before her. Her spell went into effect.

Li wasn't quite sure what had happened. Everything was the same, and yet – it was different somehow. The thin, sharp wooden arrow was gliding toward him, directly for his chest. It was easy to see it, it was coming so slowly towards him. Blackstock was frozen, staring at him unblinkingly.

What was going on? His eyes flickered over to Sakura; she wasn't frozen anymore than he was, but gazing at him in mute appeal. Li looked back at the arrow, it was much closer now, still heading straight for him. They were locked in some kind of time warp, he realized, everything had been slowed. It was an easy task to step slightly to one side and slash at the arrow in midair, cutting it neatly in half. And then time snapped back to reality. The abrupt shift caused him to stumble a little, and he had to regain his bearings.

Blackstock realized now that he was unarmed, and in desperation charged the princess. If he could just grab her quickly enough…

"Li!"

Her terrified shout brought him back, and before he knew what was happening he ran and jumped high into the air, landing a powerful kick on the side of the colonel's head. Blackstock went flying and landed heavily in the mud, Li on his feet by his side. The older man blinked and tried to clear his vision, only to see Li pointing his sword straight at his throat.

"Well, go on," he snapped, when Li didn't move. "Do it!"

Sakura stumbled to her feet, relief flooding her senses. Blackstock hadn't won, after all. She choked back some tears and wrapped her arms around Li, needing to hold on to someone. She'd come so close to losing him forever.

"Shh, it's okay," he reassured her. With his left hand he ran his fingers through her soft brown hair. He couldn't help himself. "I won't let him hurt you."

"What's the matter with you, boy? Do it!" Li regarded him with an icy stare.

"It's against the code of honor to kill an unarmed opponent, Colonel. Or didn't you know that?"

Tomoyo and Kero had emerged from the shed, and she warily pointed the bow at the man on the ground.

"Come on. It's time to leave." He led the princess away from the colonel and Tomoyo followed, keeping the arrow trained on Blackstock. "We won't bother with horses," he said in a low voice. "We can slip through the fields easier on foot, and the rain that's coming will wash away our tracks. Right now we just have to move as fast as possible."

They all nodded, and disappeared around the corner of the building.

Eriol watched as Blackstock jumped to his feet and ran inside, shouting for his sword. The situation wasn't good for him; most of the soldiers were still out painstakingly searching the village. Eriol knew he should jump on Ruby and follow the fugitives, but instead he just watched as the old woman knelt on the ground and hugged her grandchild, sobbing with relief.

I can't believe what he almost did. Who are you, Eriol? Why are you still fighting for this man? Does he really represent the ideals that you stand for?

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	11. ch10 soulmates

Chapter 10 

'**soulmates'**

It was the deepest, most restorative sleep that Touya had had in a while. The whipping and the subsequent healing left him almost unconscious for two days, hardly able to stand. When he heard the General's voice and the sound of his cell door opening, he didn't even bother to get up from his position on the floor. He was lying on his stomach, waiting for the wounds from his lashing to heal. Sakura had sped up the process, but they were still a little tender. And he would probably always carry the scars.

Gorrell muttered something under his breath and kicked Touya sharply in the ribs, taking pleasure in the way the prince groaned in pain.

Touya watched the boots pace back and forth across the floor next to his face.

"Hello to you too, Nikolai. You don't seem to be in a very good mood." He smiled through his pain. That could only mean one thing.

"Don't you get uppity with me, your highness. Yes, she managed to escape Blackstock again, but it was by the narrowest of margins. Her luck can't hold out forever, you know. Sooner or later I'll catch up with her."

"No you won't. She's going to make it. She'll escape, and then you'll never find her. She's one Kinomoto that you're not going to hurt."

The boots paused in their pacing, and Gorrell gave the prince a thoughtful look.

"Well now, you've raised an interesting point. You see, something has been troubling me for a few days now. And I think I understand what the problem is."

Touya remained silent. He wanted to get up to face the man, but he didn't think he had that kind of energy yet.

"I thought she might be lost. I thought she might be trying to throw us off by wandering off course. But this village that she was at, it's way too far from the northern route. And then I realized something, something that took me completely by surprise."

He dug his heel into the prince's back, making Touya grit his teeth and swallow another moan of pain.

"She's not trying to escape. Can you believe it? She's headed in a beeline right back for Tomoeda."

_What?_

Stark terror shot through Touya. "No. I don't believe you."

"Oh believe me, it's true. I could hardly believe it myself, when it first hit me. But there's no denying that that's the direction she's headed. She's trying to save you, Touya, isn't that sweet?" He shifted his weight to the foot on Touya's back and leaned comfortably on his knee. Touya gritted his teeth, forcing back a cry of pain. "She's coming back for you."

Touya couldn't think of anything to say, even if he had been able to speak. He didn't want to believe Gorrell, but there was a horrible feel of truth to his words. Sakura had reached out to heal his wounds, she just might be stupid enough to come back and try to get him.

What in the name of the gods was she thinking?

"So don't congratulate her on eluding me just yet. She's headed right for my stronghold, and she's in way over her head. The princess will be mine soon enough. It's only a matter of time."

He chuckled as he left the cell, and Touya winced again when the heavy door slammed shut behind him. He was torn between relief that Sakura had escaped, and fear that what the General had said was true.

Please, Sakura, he thought frantically. Stop it. Stop coming this way. Just forget about me and run. For the love of the gods, run!

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"Not a chance," Sakura whispered, and Li glanced up.

"What?"

"Nothing." It was the most that they'd spoken all day, and he hurriedly looked away. She swallowed a lump in her throat and looked back at the tiny fire. It was all the warmth they were going to get that night, and she shivered.

It had been a bad day. After slipping through the village, luckily unseen, they'd had to crouch and scurry across the vast fields of crowing crops. They'd been able to run and not worry about leaving tracks, because true to Li's prediction, it had begun to rain again. A heavy downpour that washed away their trail but also left them soaked, followed by a persistent drizzle lasting well into dusk.

She sneezed and tried to wring the excess water out of her thin cotton tunic.

By some kind of miracle, they'd reached the wild forest unaccosted and made some distance into it before Li called for a halt. A mossy boulder overhanging a grassy knoll was their shelter, and they were lucky to have that. At least under a little cover from the dripping skies, Li could get a fire going.

Sensing her depression, Tomoyo nudged her a little and gave her an inquiring look.

"What is it?"

"That little boy… what was his name?"

"Tommy."

"Tommy. He could have died. He wasn't more than seven years old and he almost died today." The horror of what almost happened struck her anew, and she felt hot tears start to slide down her face. Tomoyo put her arm around her shoulders, as much for warmth as for comfort.

"But he didn't. He's okay now. And the colonel has no way of knowing that Maude let us stay there like we did. There's nothing more to put him in danger."

"He was almost killed because of me."

"He was almost killed because of Blackstock. It's not your fault that he tried to use him as a hostage."

"I hesitated, Tomoyo. I actually hesitated before surrendering."

"But you did surrender." Her friend's voice was firm and reassuring. "You gave yourself up to save a child's life. That's why you're better than the new government. And don't you forget it." Sakura swallowed and nodded.

"Thanks," Li muttered, causing her to glance up in surprise. "For that thing with the arrow that you did. You saved my life."

"Well, I – you wouldn't have been in danger in the first place if it weren't for me." He didn't reply to that, probably because there was no suitable reply. She was like a flower attracting bees; trouble and danger seemed to follow her everywhere she went.

I've done nothing but cause pain and trouble in his life. No wonder he won't even look me in the eye. He's probably been trying to spit out the taste of my kiss all day.

"I'm going hunting," Li announced abruptly, and grabbed his bow before striding away from their little shelter.

Tomoyo watched him go, then examined the look on Sakura's face as she followed him with her eyes. "What happened, Sakura?"

The princess sighed heavily and leaned back against the slabs of rock behind her.

"What do you think of true love, Tomoyo?"

"Hmm?"

"Is there one person out there for everybody?"

"I think so, yes," Tomoyo answered cautiously. She exchanged a glance with Kero.

"So what happens if you find that one person, and then something happens to them? Was that your one chance at love? What if you find somebody else after that, and then you think that you might, hypothetically, love them too? How can you have two soulmates?"

Tomoyo considered everything she'd seen in the past few days between Sakura and Li, taking her time to reply.

"Sakura, I don't know all the answers. I don't know much about soulmates. But I hope you're not thinking that you have to remain faithful to Yukito for the rest of your life."

Sakura said nothing.

"Because there were no promises made, Sakura. You only made them to yourself. The two of you never had a relationship that you need to hold yourself to."

"But I loved him…"

"I know. But think hard, Sakura. Look at what was really there, and not what you wanted to see. Yukito loved you like his little sister, he never indicated that there was anything else there. And I think, if you examine your feelings, you'll realize that you didn't love him like you thought you did."

"What?" Sakura looked up, hurt. "How can you say that?"

"I know you cared for him very much, Sakura, but I don't think you were in love with him like you thought you were. Yukito was a lot like your father in many respects. Kind, gentle, devoted to his duties even though he was born into that role with no choice in the matter."

Every word that Tomoyo was saying rang with truth. Sakura bit her lip. There were too many new things coming at her, too many new feelings and realizations. It was all so confusing.

"I don't think you ever loved Yukito more than any other member of your family. He was a second brother, Sakura. And now he's gone. There's nothing horrible about having feelings for someone else. That's what's healthy, not chaining yourself to a ghost."

Painful as it was to hear, she knew Tomoyo was right. Yukito's death was still a deep hurt, but the struggle for survival was pushing it rapidly into the back of her mind, fuzzing the memory over. The primeval human instinct telling her to move on, continue with life, was getting louder.

Slowly she nodded. "I suppose you're right. But it doesn't matter anyway. He doesn't want anything to do with me."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"You don't know what happened."

"You're right. I don't. But I can see it in his eyes anyway." Sakura sniffled and laid her head on Tomoyo's shoulder. Together they embraced tightly, seeking comfort.

"It's all so confusing."

Tomoyo thought about Captain Eriol Hiiragizawa, their enemy, and his penetrating blue eyes.

"Tell me about it."

Their clothes were starting to dry by the time Li finally returned, bearing two plump looking birds, a handful of greens, and thin wooden sticks.

"What are they?"

"Pheasant."

"Oh." Tomoyo reached for one bird and began to pluck feathers, watching Li to see how. "Who was that man that you were fighting in the yard, before the colonel came?"

"Just an old classmate. He recognized me."

"A friend?"

"No. He resented me, I think, because he had to work so hard while the lessons came so easily to me. He finally had to drop out when we were thirteen. He just couldn't take it anymore. Joined the army, obviously."

"You were trying not to kill him."

"I suppose. It's harder when you know the story behind the face. I know he struggled through the training to please his father, but just couldn't take it. I know his older brother died when he was younger. I knew his story." Li shrugged. "That's all."

"But he knew yours too. And he didn't hold back."

"I guess so." Li concentrated on gutting the bird with his knife. Jered had probably been thrilled when he heard the truth about Li's origins. It would have given him reason to feel superior. No matter how hard he fought and how good he was, his enemies would always consider themselves superior, like Blackstock. Just because of their nobility.

The thought made him jab his knife into the bird with particular vehemence. What was the point of even trying?

Tomoyo interrupted his bleak thoughts. "How far along are we? How long until we reach Tomoeda?"

"Barring any delays, I think we can get there by nightfall tomorrow."

So soon? Sakura caught her breath; she hadn't realized how close they were. What was going to happen? Would Li deposit them outside the city and leave?

She stared at his profile in the flickering light. He was scowling as he skewered both birds and braced them over the flames.

I can't do this. I have no idea how I'm going to get into the palace and get the Cards. I'm lost. I can't do it without him and he's going to leave.

Exhausted and tired of crying, she lay down and stared at the fire with dry eyes. There was a hollow feeling in her stomach that she hadn't even felt upon her parents' death.

Although he tried to ignore it, Li could feel her eyes on him. He wished they weren't such a vivid shade of green; they seemed possessed of a light of their own.

Just don't look at her, Li. You're strong, you can resist. Just turn your head, and whatever you do, don't make eye contact.

Tomoyo hated all this tension, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. Sometimes two people had to work things out on their own.

They ate dinner in silence, the crackling of the fire and the whisper of raindrops the only sounds. Li was thinking about the girl sitting to his right. She was about to try and invade a heavily defended palace, and attempt to free the two most guarded things there: the prince, and her magical cards. She had almost no chance of succeeding. He could tell himself that he didn't care, but it would be a blatant lie. He didn't want to see her hurt.

But why should I risk my life, again? I didn't ask for any of this, it was thrust upon me. I'm not a hero, or anyone's savior. I'm just a peasant. I'm nobody.

He realized he was shredding a feather to little pieces and gave up trying to think. They were hardly out of danger here, right now he just needed to concentrate on getting safely to Tomoeda. Then he could worry about how he was going to leave Sakura… how he would turn around and walk away…

"I'm going to sleep," they both announced at the same time. Surprised, they looked at each other, then away. Tomoyo watched them curl up on the dirt and try not to face each other.

I guess I'm on watch, then.

She settled herself comfortably, absent-mindedly scratching Kero behind his ears.

"What do you think?" she murmured.

"I think things are just getting interesting."

And there was no way that she could argue with that.

- - - - - -

The servants were almost done cleaning the entire hall, and things were quieter now. Tomoyo was leaning against the organ, her chin in her hands, eyelids drooping. Sakura was falling asleep on Touya's shoulder again, and finally he gave up.

"Come on, little missy, it's time to get you to bed."

"Not tired," she protested, trying to swallow another yawn.

"Yes, you are. It's way past your bedtime."

"I don't have a bedtime, Touya. I hate it when you're so bossy."

"Somebody's got to do it. Otherwise think what a spoiled brat you'd be." She had enough energy to hit him in the arm, though barely. He only chuckled and stood up, then scooped her up in his arms, formal ballroom gown and all. "It's off to bed with you, Cherry Blossom."

Most of the time it was so annoying when Touya ordered her around, but occasionally she rather enjoyed it. Sakura decided she was too tired to argue and wrapped her arms around his neck, laying her head on his shoulder. Yukito smiled at the sight and moved toward Tomoyo, who was more asleep than awake and clearly unable to walk back to her bedroom.

"Please allow me, sir," someone offered, and both men looked up to see Captain Blacken stepping forward from the shadows. He'd been there, along with the other men of the King's Own, waiting patiently for the royal children to leave the ballroom.

"Captain?" Touya frowned. "What are you doing here?" Blacken was usually on the detail that kept watch over his mother, and should have been back in the royal suites by now.

"I didn't really feel like retiring just yet, and exchanged posts with one of my men." The captain picked up Tomoyo easily, her long dark hair hanging down toward the floor as she curled up in his arms.

"Right then." Touya's curiosity was dulled by his fatigue, and he yawned again. "I'm exhausted. Let's get to bed."

The mixed company of royalty and bodyguards made their way down the long marble hallways of the palace. Outside the huge windows, it was a scene of stark and cold beauty. The clouds had dissipated at last, leaving the full moon and a hundred bright stars to gaze serenely on the snow encrusted land below them.

Sakura kept getting heavier and heavier, and it was with a touch of envy that Touya saw the captain tote Tomoyo so easily down the corridor. He decided that he must not be keeping in shape, and resolved to make time for an extra hour of working out every day in the future. It was so difficult to find time, between attending councils and meetings with his father and pursuing his studies.

At long last they reached Sakura's suite. Her bedroom was the biggest, and could only be reached by passing through the front room where her guardians kept watch. Kero was already there, crashed out. He'd eaten and drunk to his heart's content much earlier in the evening. A few smaller rooms connected to Sakura's: Tomoyo's room, the luxurious bathroom that they shared between them, and the room that was devoted solely to Sakura's wardrobe. She was fast asleep by the time Touya set her down on her bed, and he had to take all the jewels out of her hair by himself. Then with Yukito's help he pulled off her dress until she was just in her silken petticoats.

He pulled the blanket over her and tucked her in, then straightened and yawned again.

"That's it. I'm off to bed." Captain Blacken emerged from Tomoyo's little room and together they returned to the first room. "Night, Yuki."

"Night, Touya." The prince and his bodyguards returned to the hallway, and Touya turned to go to his bedroom. It was the one next to Sakura's, but thanks to the size of each room, it was some ways down the hallway. Then something caught his eye, and he stopped.

"Half a tick, men. Go on, I'll be right there." He left them standing in the hall and turned to cover the distance in long, quick strides. General Gorrell was standing at the end of the corridor, his hands behind his back as he admired one of the portraits on the wall. He turned as Touya approached, and made a slight bow.

"Good evening, your highness."

"General." Touya gave a curt nod. "Up rather late, aren't you?"

"I was feeling restless."

"Lost?"

Gorrell straightened his back a little. "I must remind your highness that I do have clearance to all sections of the palace. As commander-in-chief of our armed forces, it's only natural that I am able to supervise the security throughout your home."

Technically, it was true that Gorrell had every right to be in this hallway. But Touya still didn't like it. He glanced at the portrait; it was a painting of his mother and Sakura, both resplendent in green silk to illuminate their identical eyes. He returned his glare to the General.

"I don't like the way that you've been looking at my sister, Gorrell. I'd appreciate it if you stopped."

"Your highness," the older man admonished. "I have only a fatherly affection for the princess; I feel as if she was my own. I would never dream of hurting her highness."

"Good. Let's keep it that way." Touya crossed his arms and nodded back the way he'd come, and Nikolai took the hint. He bowed again, turned, and retreated down the long marble corridor. The prince watched him go, still uneasy. There was no reason to suspect anything, anything at all. But there had been a nasty glint in those black eyes when the General bowed. Frustrated, he shook his head and tried to clear it.

It's late, and I'm barely awake. I probably imagined it. Yukito's right, I spend too much time being suspicious. Time to go to bed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sakura had been sure that she'd never be able to sleep, but she woke up in the pre-dawn light feeling refreshed. She hadn't slept at all the night before in the inn, and exhaustion had caught up to her at last. She stood and stretched, stepping away from their crowded shelter. The rain had ceased, and she watched the sky go from gray to pink to a pale milky blue through the gaps in the tree branches. It was going to be a beautiful day.

The world feels so clean. I'd like to feel clean, too. Where's some water, I wonder?

Hesitantly she picked a direction and began to make her way through the forest. These woods were lush and green with the swelling spring season, and she was careful to not leave any kind of tracks in the verdant undergrowth. At last she could hear water, and followed the sound.

I don't have the luxury of crying about Li; I realize that now. We're going to reach the capital tonight, and I've got much more important things to worry about. He's just a peasant after all. A man that I barely know. I can stand it if he – if he hates me. It doesn't matter to me.

She stopped to swallow, and choke back the tears that were threatening to flow.

I don't care. Just keep telling yourself that, Sakura. You do not care.

At last she came upon water and caught her breath, enchanted. A stream of clear, cold water was flowing over a rocky overhang and splashing into a quiet pool, green with the reflection of all the ferns along its banks. She thought she'd never seen anything so beautiful or peaceful. Gratefully she stripped off her clothes and waded into the creek. It was cold but refreshing, and she enjoyed the momentary relaxation of scrubbing her hair and then rinsing off in the little waterfall.

A tiny sound in the woods made her glance up. "Is someone there?"

No answer, and she shrugged.

I suppose it's time to get out. We'll need to get moving if we want to make it to the city by nightfall.

Her stomach tightened when she thought about the task before her. A struggling swimmer is only occupied with reaching the shore of the island; he isn't worried about starving to death afterwards. So it was with her fight to get to Tomoeda. She'd hardly given a thought to what she would do when she got there.

She climbed up onto a rock and began to comb her fingers through her hair. It was shady here in the forest, but she pushed the water off her skin and shook her hair vigorously in an attempt to dry off quickly.

But I can't hold back just because I'm afraid. Every day that passes is another day that my brother is in chains. Nikolai might even torture him again. I can't let that happen if I can help it.

Sakura pulled on her clothes and shook her wet hair again. It could dry while she walking, and she set out for their little shelter. A low growl stopped her in her tracks.

"Hello?" she whispered. There was only a deathly silence behind her, and then the snapping of a twig. Slowly, very slowly, she turned around.

The wolf that was staring at her was huge. There was a terrible beauty about him, in his glossy coat, his brown eyes, his perfect white teeth. She froze.

It was springtime, and prey was becoming more abundant. Ordinarily the hunter would not have bothered with this strange creature that had invaded his territory, but his mate had just given birth to a litter of pups. Sakura had come too close to his den for his taste, and he wanted her gone. Carefully he edged his way around this threat, baring his teeth again and giving a warning growl.

Sakura was afraid to move, afraid to breathe. It was so unnerving how his eyes never left her face. She'd never seen a wolf before, but there was a dedication there in its eyes that she recognized anyway. He was going to kill her, and she couldn't do anything about it.

The muscles in his legs rippled as he crouched slightly, then sprang forward. The scream had hardly left her mouth when Li slammed into the predator mid-air. They both went flying and hit the ground hard.

Li groaned in pain as he heard something in his shoulder pop; he'd landed awkwardly. But there was no time to worry about that now. He leapt to his feet in a low crouch and drew his knife with his left hand. The wolf was a little shaken, but it snarled and rushed forward. Just in time Li darted to the side, slashing as he did so. The wolf whined in sudden pain, but wheeled and prepared to attack again. Li narrowed his eyes at the animal's stare, and replied with his own answering growl. This was not the first time he'd faced a wolf in combat; he knew what to do. Warily they circled each other before the animal attacked once more. This time Li had a chance to prepare, and there was a howl of pain as his knife slid through its ribs. The young warrior rolled onto his back and pushed upwards with his feet, throwing the wolf over his head. This time it did not get up, whimpering and panting hard as blood gurgled into its lungs. It was dying, slowly and painfully, and Li felt a touch of sorrow as he knelt by the animal. He knew that this wolf probably had a mate, and a litter of pups to hunt for. But there was no other way. He was going to kill Sakura, and Li could not allow that to happen.

"Sorry," he whispered, and slit its throat. It wasn't until he stood up that he remembered his injury, and tried to move his right arm. The grinding pain in his shoulder made him yelp out loud.

"Oh Li, are you all right?" Sakura approached him anxiously, reaching for his arm. He backed away.

"Fine, I'm fine. Landed wrong, I dislocated my shoulder." He gritted his teeth as he backed up to a tree and gripped a low branch. Her eyes were dilated wide with fear, and she was breathing hard. She couldn't believe what Li had just done. He was so amazingly fast, so sure of himself in battle. Even against the wild predators of the forest he could hold his own.

"Let me heal it, please. You're hurt, you can't - "

"No!" he snapped. "No, we're not going through all that song and dance again. I'll be fine. I just need you to hold onto my arm. Nice and tight."

Uncertainly she gripped his upper arm. "Tighter, damn it. I need you to hold on!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. How's this?"

"Better." He squeezed the branch tightly and gritted his teeth, preparing himself. One… two…

He jerked his body back against the trunk, and there was another loud pop. She gasped, and he collapsed against the tree with a tiny groan.

"Are you all right?"

"Fine, fine," he wheezed. "Just… that was a lot of exercise for so early in the morning."

"Well, um, thank you. You saved me."

"Don't mention it."

Thank the gods, thought Sakura. I'm so lucky that he was here. How did he even find me in time -

She realized that her hands were still on his arm, and she blushed. She could feel his rock-hard muscles underneath his shirt, and she traced her hands lightly down toward his hand.

Li's heart started beating faster at her gentle touch, and his grip tightened on the branch again. He knew he should push her away and run, but his feet seemed rooted to the ground.

"You followed me," she whispered. "You were watching me." He didn't reply, but she knew it was the truth. It was obvious in his golden brown eyes. She drew a shuddering breath as she covered his hand with hers, rubbing it tenderly. Somehow, the knowledge that he'd been watching her bathe didn't bother her at all. She only wished that he'd joined her. She wanted to be with him so badly, it ached.

Li trembled when she raised his hand to her face and placed it lightly against her cheek. The feel of her skin was too much to bear.

"Stop it," he whispered. "Please."

"Push me away."

He did nothing.

"What is it, Li? Am I not – am I not pretty enough?"

"I think you're beautiful," he choked.

"Do you think I'm a spoiled brat?"

"No." His stomach lurched when she rubbed her cheek along his palm. Bark was starting to crumble under his grip.

"Li," she sighed, and kissed his hand. Somehow his name on her lips right then ignited another rush of heat to his skin. What had happened to his lungs, why couldn't he draw a breath?

Sakura watched the panic surge again in his eyes, not understanding why but wishing it would go.

Li moaned as she gently lipped his finger, then closed her mouth over it. She was sucking on it, and he had to close his eyes and force a strangled breath. He'd never known that anything could feel so good.

"Please, stop," he begged. He simply wasn't strong enough. Blessedly, she pulled away and he opened his eyes. She was looking at him, tears welling up. It hurt to look at her, but he couldn't tear his gaze away.

"Don't you want me?"

_Yes._

He broke down and cupped his hand behind her neck, pulling her forward against his body and he kissed her. Desperately, hungrily, passionately he kissed her and she kissed him right back, humming with pleasure and matching him in the sheer force of want. Eagerly she reached around his neck with her arms and he responded automatically, wrapping his own arms around her waist and picking her right up off the ground. Caught up in the exhiliration of the moment Li turned and pressed Sakura against the tree, and she moaned in delight, lifting her chin to allow him access when he moved his kisses from her lips to her neck.

"Yes," she murmured, over and over again, pleading for him to keep going. He reached for her tunic and paused to breathe. "Please," she begged. Uncertainly he ran his hands over her breasts, then lower down to her slim waist, preparing to pull off her shirt. Her eyes were closed now, her breath coming in quick and rapid gasps. "Do it!"

_No._

The reality of what he was doing struck him hard, and he pushed himself away from her with a suddenness Sakura was not prepared for. She almost fell, and she had to brace herself against the tree, she was so dizzy.

"What?" Li was backing away from her, horror in his eyes. "Please, Li, I need this."

"No." He shook his head, clenching his fists and trying to steady himself. "No, I can't. I can't believe what I almost did."

"What's wrong?"

"This can't happen, Sakura. What was I thinking?"

"What do you mean, this can't happen? Doesn't it feel right?"

Indeed it did. It felt so right, but that didn't change anything.

"Don't you see, Sakura? This cannot happen. A serf like me cannot be kissing a princess!" Her eyes widened a trifle as understanding hit her.

"What? That's why you're scared? Li, I don't care about that, you know I don't!"

"Our feelings don't matter one way or another. Don't you see that? There are certain things that are not supposed to happen, and this is one of them."

Sakura felt a flutter of panic, and tried to keep her voice calm. "Is this about what Blackstock said to you yesterday? He's evil, you can't listen to him - "

"It isn't about what anybody said to me, all right? It's what was done to me." He pushed his bangs out of his eyes and gave her a miserable glance. "I know what happens when you try to step out of the bounds. You're royalty, and I am dirt beneath your feet."

"Don't say that," she begged, the final word cracking with a sob. "It's not true!"

"It is, and you know it. I was weak; I kissed you. I'm sorry. It shouldn't have happened. I won't do it again." She was starting to cry now, and she fell to her knees.

"Please Li, don't turn me away. Please…I need you." She looked so desperate. He had to force himself to back away, and he turned and picked up his knife, lying on the grass by the wolf's body. He had to wipe the blood off.

"You know that this is the way it has to be." He couldn't look at her. Instead he turned and set out for their shelter.

Sakura watched him walk away from her, the tense set of his muscles obvious even in the shady glen.

"I hate being a princess!" she shrieked. He didn't turn around. "It's brought me nothing but misery. I hate it!" She pounded the earth and gave another choking sob.

I just want to forget about it. Just go run and hide, and live like a peasant for the rest of my life. And I want to do it with Li.

For a moment, she was sorely tempted. It would be so easy to just escape Hapeynia and never come back. But her brother was counting on her. Her people were counting on her to restore the rule of law. She couldn't turn her back on them.

No matter how much it hurt.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	12. ch11 arrival

Chapter 11 

'**arrival'**

I remember the helpless rage I felt when my father was murdered, right before my eyes. The twisting self-hatred and guilt that came from my mother's death still tears at me from inside. And I remember well the bitter frustration of my expulsion from the palace. I thought I had been handed all the different kinds of pain in this world, I was sure that my suffering was through. I never expected anything like this.

I am aware of her, at all times, in all her movements. Every tiny sigh she makes, every time she swallows back her tears and looks away from me. Every motion of her delicate hands, every time a strand of hair falls into her face, I see it. I'm not looking, but I see it anyway. Shortly before we reached the edge of the forest this morning, I found a thorny bush of early blackberries. I thought it would make a nice breakfast. I didn't count on having to watch her pop those tender berries into her mouth, one at a time. I couldn't even think about eating any myself, I was so busy watching her lick the purple juice off her fingers as she forced herself to smile at the others. The sight brought back the sensation of how she had sucked on my fingertip this morning, and the feelings she awoke inside me. And that led to the memory of the kiss, even better than the last, and how she had tasted. I never knew anything could feel so good.

So painful. Because nothing can happen between us. I know it's the truth, and she does too, though she tried to deny it. I know what happens when I try to act above myself. I understand what is done in this world, and what is not. So even though my heart and my body are screaming at me, pleading for me to act on my instincts and take her in my arms, I hold back. She's so close… all it would take is a touch. One touch, one word on my part and we could be together. I want it more than anything. This is killing me, on the inside. I'm not sure I'm strong enough to withstand the temptation. Why am I here, with her? What kind of cruel fate led to our meeting, I wonder? All I wanted was to be left alone, I don't understand why she had to try and hide in my valley. I was swept up into her plight, and I never had a chance to look back. And now I'm plagued by the sweetest, most exquisite pain that I ever imagined possible. How much longer will this torture last?

"How much longer?" Tomoyo queried, interrupting his thoughts.

"Huh?" She frowned at him thoughtfully. Normally Li's face was so guarded and secretive, but he'd been startled and she saw a desperate longing there that was so intense she had to swallow. She didn't like to think about what he and Sakura must be going through right now.

"I said, how much longer? The sun's setting, are we going to make camp or is Tomoeda close enough that we should push on?"

"Oh." Li glanced at the sky, then at the fields around them. "The capital is only another couple hours' walk. We'll continue on."

Another night with her is unthinkable. Just walking beside her is bad enough. I know I'll lose all self-control if I had to curl up beside her again… if I have to watch her fall asleep next to me just one more time.

The sunset that evening was beautiful. Sakura watched the golden orange circle slide below the horizon, gilding the puffy clouds in the sky. The colors were even more vivid through her watering eyes, blurred by the pent-up tears. She thought she'd felt all the pain she could feel when her parents and Yukito were murdered, and she was forced from her own home as a fugitive. Between her grief for the past and terror of what the future might hold, she'd never even expected something like this. But there he was, walking just to the right and a little ahead of her, carefully not looking in her direction. He was so strong, independent, and beautiful. Li was the antidote to her helplessness, and her fear of the General. He was everything that she longed to be and longed to be with. But he would not allow it to happen, that much he had made very clear.

And so she held back, resisted all temptation to reach for his hand and hold it tightly. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right that they should have to stay apart when he so obviously felt the same way as she did. Sakura felt another lump rise in her throat when she thought about the injustice of it all. This was the sweetest, most horrible pain she'd ever known.

The glow on the dark horizon grew brighter, and bigger, and soon the individual buildings of Tomoeda were visible. Much sooner than Sakura would have liked. Just a week after leaving Li's valley, they had finally returned, and the unpleasant memories were flooding into her mind. The night of the overthrow, and the frantic running, hiding behind piles of scrap wood in their soaking wet nightgowns, confused and panicky about what was going on. The soldiers had been everywhere, she could hear them asking people about her. Finally, not sure what else to do, they'd sneaked aboard a wagon headed out of the city in the early dawn hours. The days after that were a blur in her mind. Haphazard naps, infrequent meals, and constantly just a step ahead of the pursuing soldiers. None of them had had any idea where they were in the country, or where they were even trying to go. Not until that day that Li had hidden her from the men, and offered her food and rest, did things begin to sort themselves out in her mind. He was her rock, a measure of stability in her mission. She didn't know what she would have done without him. And now he was probably going to leave.

"Now what?" Kero spoke up, voicing everyone's thoughts. Sakura only shrugged helplessly.

"I wish I knew. I guess the first thing is to try and find some food, and get some rest. We're all tired."

Li only grunted, gazing at the shops and homes around them as they walked down the lane. He was probably remembering the last time he'd been there too, and Sakura had to stop herself from reaching out and squeezing his hand. Instead she forced herself to keep her eyes open for soldiers, as they progressed to the interior of the city and the road beneath their feet turned from dirt to cobbled stone. Absorbed in her pain, it took her a while to realize something was amiss.

"Tomoyo?"

"Yes?"

"Doesn't it seem, well, awfully quiet to you?"

Everybody in the group nodded, and Sakura felt a twinge of uneasiness. She had not been allowed out into the city after nightfall very often, but sometimes she had flown out of the palace (without permission) to take in the sights of the night life. Even after the sun went down, Tomoeda enjoyed a healthy and humming level of activity. But now the streets were eerily empty, and those that were out were obviously unhappy about it. Nobody was on their way to a bar, or a public house. Instead they kept their faces down and their hands jammed in their pockets, as though it were miserably cold instead of the mild spring evening that it was. The character of the city had changed in these past few weeks.

Li felt uneasy about it as well, but remained alert enough to recognize the purposeful steps of two soldiers on patrol. Just in time he pulled the girls into the shadows before the men rounded the corner and passed them.

Sakura exhaled. That had been close.

"Thank you."

"No problem." Li realized his hand was still on her arm, and he released her hastily. Would the shadows be deep enough to conceal his red face? "We need a place to hide. People out on the streets at this hour are too conspicuous."

Everyone nodded, and Li cast about for a good hiding spot. It was late, they needed to rest. An idea had been flickering in his mind that day, the idea that he would drop them off at the city and leave immediately. It was late, sure, and a long road back home, but he was ready to do it.

Now I know I can't. I can't just walk off and leave them; this is the most dangerous part of her journey. She needs help, and I can't deny her that. Even if it means spending another night with her.

He scowled to himself as he raised his arm and pointed.

"There. That looks safe enough." Sakura followed his gaze to a shop that was obviously boarded up and out of business. As so many did, the building had a flat above it where the owners would have lived. Hopefully it would now be empty. "Come on." The little group tiptoed down the dark alleyways until they reached the side. Boards had been nailed across the doors, but it was easy to scale the stone wall. At least, it was easy for Li, even with the crossbow strung across his back. There was a rough window on this side and he crept through it and landed lightly on the wooden floor. He was immediately tackled.

Instinctively Li twisted and threw off his attacker, then reached for his pendant. He stopped when his vision adjusted, and held out his hand, abashed. It was only a boy, hardly more than ten, lying on the floor where he'd thrown him and panting hard.

"It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you." The boy scrambled away from his outstretched hand and stood on his own, fists raised.

"Git away! Leave us alone!"

Us?

"Nicky!" a new voice squeaked. "Are you hurt?"

"Fine." The blonde boy scowled at Li and backed away from him, toward the far corner of the flat. Now Li could see a little girl, also blonde, curled up in a ball on a blanket. She was shivering with fear as she stared at Li, until the older boy moved to stand in between them. "Leave us alone. We got nothin' to steal."

"I can see that. I'm not here to rob you."

"Li? Is everything okay?" Sakura peeked over the edge of the sill, apprehensive with all the noise.

"It's fine. Come on up."

"I said, git away!"

"We need a place to sleep," Li informed him. "We're not going to bother you or your sister, I promise." Sakura clambered through the window.

"What's all the noise about – oh." She glanced at the children. "Oh. Don't worry, we're only looking for a place to sleep. We won't bother you." Tomoyo scrambled through the opening, and the boy called Nicky looked from one to the other. He was clearly outnumbered, and he lowered his fists reluctantly.

"We got nothin' to steal."

"I heard you. We're not thieves, don't worry about it." Li pulled off his bow and quiver and set them down on the floor to stretch. Sakura approached the two children and gave a polite curtsy.

"My name's Sakura. What's yours?" The boy was silent, staring at her suspiciously. But the little girl relaxed and gave her a timid smile.

"It's Clarissa. You can call me Claire if you want."

"Thank you." She knelt on the floor to face her more directly. "Where are your parents?"

"Don't got none," Claire replied cheerfully. "Just me and Nicky."

"I see. Why aren't you at the orphanage?" Nicky sat down next to his sister and put his arm around her thin shoulders.

"Shut it down a week ago, they did. Said it were a - " He paused and screwed up his face in concentration. "A 'locus of bad planning and uncoord-uncoordination.' Soldiers said it would be back up again right soon when the government had a better system goin'."

Sakura swallowed and exchanged glances with Tomoyo. "I see."

"You're right pretty, you are," Claire announced, and crawled into Sakura's lap.

"Thank you."

"Where are your parents?"

"Well…" Sakura stroked her fingers through the girl's pale blonde hair. "They're not here anymore. I guess I'm an orphan too."

"Is that your brother?" She pointed to Li, and Sakura smiled.

"No, he's just a – a friend."

"Don't got a brother?" Claire's voice was clearly sympathetic, and Nicky straightened his shoulders a little.

"No, no I do," Sakura reassured her. "We've been separated. I have to find him."

"Hope you do. Can't get along without a brother, you know."

"I know." She watched the boy's face. He was obviously proud that his little sister needed him so much. She wondered how long he'd been taking care of her. A stray memory clicked; the night of the Midwinter Ball, only a few months earlier, and how strong her brother's arms had been when he scooped her up and carried her to her bedroom. How wonderful it had felt to be coddled and protected. She missed that more than anything in the world. "Believe me, I want to find him very much."

"Are we going to eat tonight, or what?" Both children gasped as Kero crawled out of his bag and fluttered out into the air.

"What is that?"

"Pleased to meet you, kids. Name's Keroberos." Kero loved the effect he had on people, and twisted and rolled to show off before coming to a stop before Claire's face. She was nervous, but curiosity overcame her fear and she reached forward to feel his fur.

"Don't, Claire," her brother snapped, and quickly knocked her hand away. "It could be dangerous."

"Nicky!"

"It's all right," Sakura offered. "Kero's my friend. I've known him since I was younger than you are. He would never hurt anyone."

Not counting the men that killed his partner, she silently thought, but didn't add that part. Kero just twitched his tail and allowed Claire to scratch him behind his ears.

"So cute," she murmured, clearly entranced. Nicky just scowled at her expression and looked away. Clearly he was unhappy with these people that had invaded his territory, and Li could sympathize.

"It won't be for long," he told the boy. "We just needed a place to hi-sleep for the night. Is there somewhere around here that I can find food?"

A sulky look was his only answer.

"Go on, Nicky," Claire said impatiently. "Tell 'em about the inn."

"There's an inn up the road a piece," he said grudgingly. "Sometimes they have leftover bread and such." Li nodded.

"Seems like our best shot. I'll go find it."

"Take him, Nicky."

"I'm not leavin' you!"

"I'll be all right. Go on, take him."

"You're not in charge, Claire."

"Nicky!" She pouted, and he gave an exasperated sigh. Sakura had been through this with Touya many times, and she knew what was coming next.

"All right, all right. I'm goin'. But I'll be right back, see?" He stood and gave Sakura and Tomoyo both a warning glare, then turned to the window. Sakura waited until he and Li were out of sight through the window.

"Your brother does a good job of protecting you, doesn't he?"

"He's all right. We make it through."

"That's good." Claire leaned her head against Sakura's shoulder. "He'll grow up to be a good man because of it. And you're a lucky girl."

"I know it."

Li held out his arms to catch Nicky as he neared the ground, but the boy ignored him and jumped down on his own.

"Thank you for letting us stay in your home."

"-t's all right. You're not bad sorts, I can tell."

"Good."

"Your friends rich, then? They talk right pretty."

"Yeah, I guess they do."

"Why ain't you got no home, then?"

"My house is gone now, I think. Soldiers destroyed it." The boy clucked his tongue and relaxed slightly.

"I don't like the soldiers either. Threw us out of our home, they did. And one of 'em hurt Claire."

"Uh-huh." Li gave the boy beside him a thoughtful look. He was punching the air, hitting an imaginary enemy before him as they walked. "You know that the soldiers are supposed to be your friends. They're the ones supposed to protect you and your sister from bad people."

"Hmph. I wouldn't trust a soldier as far as I could throw him. They steal."

"So you wouldn't go to one for help, or anything."

"Course not. I can handle things fine on my own." He looked as though he rather expected Li to argue with him, but the young man just nodded.

"Good. You're the only one that you can ever depend on, Nicky. Don't forget that. Learn to fight. You can't always count on armed men to come and protect you."

The boy stopped walking and shot him a hopeful look.

"D'you know how to fight?"

"I started learning when I was a little younger than you."

"Wow!" Now his eyes had completely lit up. "Will you show me how?"

"Maybe. Tomorrow, perhaps. If I get some food and rest."

"Right, then." Nicky took Li's hand and enthusiastically dragged him around to the back of a large building. "Let's find some food!"

- - - - - -

Gorrell stood in the archway by the palace courtyard and waited for Blackstock to dismount and approach him. The old soldier came to a stop just before him and saluted, then placed his hands behind his back to stand at attention.

"You disappoint me, Gareth. You actually had her on her hands and knees, and still she escaped?"

"I was weaponless, sir, after she used her magic to disarm me. I had no way to defeat the peasant."

Gorrell snarled. "I suppose you did the best you could."

The colonel bristled just a little at the veiled barb, and spoke up. "Sir, are you sure that we shouldn't be searching for their trail in the forest? We found them before in the wild, we could do it again."

"Denied, Gareth. She's coming here, I'm sure of it. She may even already be here, for all I know. I want every available man combing the city, and the palace guardsmen on extra alert. Who knows what the little witch is planning."

"Yes sir. Shall we begin the search tonight?"

"No, no, don't bother. She won't be leaving, and she may not have even arrived. Wait until the morning. Stables, cellars, anything. You know what to do."

"Yes sir." Nikolai waved an impatient hand, and Blackstock saluted and left.

- - - - - -

The fear was overwhelming. Sakura choked it back and tried to struggle, but there were too many of them. The enemy was all around her. She was alone. Where were her friends? Where was Li?

"Li! Help!" She reached her hand out in appeal, hoping he would rescue her. But he was too far away for her to reach. "Li, please…"

His hand was outstretched too, but they couldn't quite touch. And then he did something that filled her with dread, gave form to her worst nightmares. He turned around and left her. He turned around and left her alone with the enemy.

"No!" she shrieked helplessly. There was a sharp pain across her face and she hit the ground.

Please no…

"Sakura! Wake up, Sakura!"

He left me. He left me. He –

"Sakura, wake up, damn it!"

Something penetrated at last, and she jerked awake to find Li on top of her, trying to cover her mouth with his hand. He'd had to lie on top of her to pin her arms and legs, she'd been struggling so hard. She looked into his eyes, terrified.

"You left me," she panted. "You left me. You left - "

"Shh!" Li pressed his hand down over her lips and looked anxiously at the others. Tomoyo and the children were sleeping quietly, all of them tired by the late hour. He had been awake and keeping watch by the window when Sakura started to whimper in her sleep. "Relax. It was just a nightmare. It didn't happen."

"They were all around us," she whispered. "I was a prisoner. And you turned away and left me."

"I wouldn't do that, Sakura. That won't happen."

"I'm so scared…"

"Don't be. You're in control of your fear. Always." He sounded so sure of himself, so confident. Her breathing slowed and she became aware of how he was holding her down, and how strong he was. His face was so close to hers.

"We've been here before," she murmured.

"Don't. Please don't start that again. You know we can't."

"I can't help myself. This feels so good, like this. I want it to happen."

"Well it won't." At last Li forced himself to roll off, and he sat facing away from her.

"Li, I - "

"No. No more words, Sakura. I can't even listen to your voice."

She felt as though she'd been slapped, and she shrunk away from the man sitting beside her.

"Then I guess..." she swallowed. "Then I guess I have nothing to say."

"Thank you."

She rolled over to face away from him, and squeezed her eyes shut until the tears leaked out. She was trying her hardest to be quiet, but Li heard her give a muffled sob anyway, and his heart wrenched. More than anything he wanted to put his arms around her, make the pain go away. He could.

But it would only delay the inevitable. What's the use of pretending something that's never going to be? Better that it's stopped now, before it gets too emotional.

It already was emotional, but he pushed that thought out of his mind as he crawled back to the window to look out at the stars.

Hello Mother. Can you see me, down here? What's going on? I haven't felt an ache in my chest like this since you died. And she's alive and well, hardly more than an arms' length away. What is this pain that I'm feeling?

Sakura heard him give a tiny sigh, and drew another careful breath. She would not burst into loud tears, not here in the middle of the night. Instead she concentrated on breathing deeply, in and out, in and out. She was tired, and after a while she felt herself relax and her eyelids start to droop. It was only then that something occurred to her.

It was a nightmare, right? It felt so real… I know Li wouldn't leave me like that, but it felt like one of my prophetic dreams. I haven't had one of those in a while; not even before the overthrow. What if –

No. No, I know Li would never turn away from me like that. It was just a bad nightmare.

She slipped into sleep, exhausted. She never thought to consider that if it had been a prophetic dream, the unconscious use of magic would have marked her presence.

Salfrek passed a thin and bony hand in front of his eyes, staring at something that Gorrell couldn't quite see.

"She's here."

"Where?"

"Impossible to pinpoint exactly." The magician waved his hand in the air, and something that looked like a map of the city floated in the air, a red and gauzy image. Nikolai wrinkled his nose in distaste, but stared at the illuminated portion of the map with fierce concentration.

"She's in that area?"

"She is."

"Right, then." The soldier backed away from the old man, relieved. "That's where they'll go."

Every man available will go to that neighborhood. She won't slip through my grasp this time.

He clenched his fist, and smiled.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It was the first time in a while that Sakura slept later than the sunrise. She hadn't had an easy night, and it was midway into the morning before she finally woke.

"Good morning," Tomoyo said cheerfully. "I was beginning to wonder if I should wake you."

Sakura yawned and sat up. "We had a long day yesterday. I guess I was just trying to catch up."

"Well, I hope you did. Today's going to be tricky, you know. Eat some breakfast, you'll need your strength." She pushed a knotted up handkerchief into Sakura's hands. Upon unwrapping it, she found a peach, a small chunk of bread, and a slice of cheese.

"Wow. Where did all this come from?"

"Nicky knows where the food is in this neighborhood. Claire took our waterbags to the well and filled them up, too."

"Did everybody else have some?"

"We've all eaten, Sakura, don't worry about it. Eat up."

Hesitantly the princess began to nibble on the bread, then stopped. "Where's Li? He didn't leave, did he?"

"No, why would he have?"

"Then where is he?"

"I'm not sure, I think he's – hey, Sakura!" Her friend had just jumped to her feet and run across the room to lean out the window.

What if he left? What if he left me? I can't do it without him, I can't go on without him, I –

She didn't relax until she saw Li in the alleyway below her, demonstrating to Nicky how to do a punch. She watched him rotate the boy's fist, showing over and over how to bring more power into the strike, and remembered how he had showed her that day in the cherry orchard. How wonderful it had been to have his arms around her.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo covered her hand with hers and spoke softly. "I know how much you must be hurting right now. You're feeling vulnerable. But you can't keep panicking that Li is going to leave. You know that he's going to, eventually. There's nothing to be gained by fretting every time he steps out the door."

Sakura nodded and sank down to the floor.

"I know. I can't help it. It's just… the thought of him gone. It kills me. I can't do this without him."

"Your strength is in yourself, Sakura." There was no reply to that, and Tomoyo squeezed her hand tighter. "And you know, that no matter what he chooses to do, I'll still be here. I'm not leaving you, ever."

Sakura smiled for the first time that morning, and returned the squeeze.

"I know."

Nicky punched Li's palm and grinned. Already he could feel the difference in power with this new technique.

"This is bloomin' terrific. Where'd you learn this?"

"From a very wise man, years ago. I was a student of his."

"Lucky." Nicky stopped punching and looked at Li appraisingly. "Where're you from, then, anyway? You talk a bit like country folk, and a bit like proper nobles."

Li smiled a little ruefully. It was true, years of living in the palace posing as a noble had lent a peculiar bent to his country accent. Now he sounded a little like both, and neither.

I don't really fit in anywhere, I guess.

"I had a home, a few days west of here on the Great Road. I had my own land, and my own cabin, and nobody told me what to do or where I could go. I gathered my own food, and got along on my own."

"Cor." Nicky looked absolutely entranced. To an orphan living off of scraps of food and constantly ducking the soldiers, it sounded like paradise. "What'd you leave all that for?"

"For the worst reason possible. A girl."

"Oh," the boy sniffed. "Silly reason."

"Tell me about it." Another pair of soldiers walked past the alleyway down the street, and Li averted his gaze. "Are there normally this many soldiers walking about in the city?"

He hadn't spent too much time outside the palace when he lived in Tomoeda, but it seemed to him that there were far more out than there used to be, even with a new government in charge. Nicky shrugged.

"Suppose there's a bit more than usual today."

"Well, it's not a good idea to practice these things out in the open, where they can see. Commoners aren't supposed to learn these arts, you know."

"How'd you learn, then?"

"Um, long story. Come on, time to get back inside."

What are the chances of trying to swim back in the way we came out? That gate was full of holes. But then the dungeons were empty and unused. That won't be the situation this time, I'm sure of it. They're bound to have repaired such an obvious flaw by now.

Sakura glared at a knothole on the wood by her feet.

Maybe we could fly up and over the walls. We could probably do it, in the dark. But then the mage, Salfrek I suppose, will be able to sense us. I don't know if he'd be able to tell how close we were, but it's a risk.

Even if we can get in the palace, I have no idea how to find my brother or the Cards. And even if I did – then what? Am I going to kill the General? I'm not a murderer; I don't kill people. Even him.

I cannot do this.

Abruptly she stood and crossed over to the window. Tomoyo glanced up from braiding Claire's hair.

"Where are you going?"

"I can't sit here anymore. I need to walk around a little."

"Sakura, it's still daylight - "

"I don't care. There are plenty of people about. No one will see me." She gave her friends no time to argue but crawled through the window and began to clamber down the wall. Right away she noticed a pair of soldiers walking down the street, but they didn't glance her way, and she relaxed.

I suppose Gorrell has probably figured out by now that Tomoeda was my destination, but it's a big city. There's no way he can search every building. All I have to do is keep a low profile, and I'll be all right.

Moodily she kicked a small rock and it flew against the wall of the neighboring building.

Until I try and invade his palace tonight. Then all bets are off.

Absentmindedly she stepped forward and kicked the rock again, then again, until she was out in the street. There were no soldiers in sight, and she leaned against the wall to watch the people go by.

How many times was I out of the palace on a non-parade or festival day? Not too many. But I could swear that the people weren't usually this subdued.

It was a beautiful day, but nobody was even looking up at the sky. There was plenty of noise, but no laughter and not too many smiles. It was a markedly different atmosphere than that of the remote villages she'd been to lately, and it made her uncomfortable.

What exactly could Nikolai do to all of them? Sure, he shut down the orphanage, but that wouldn't have an effect on so many. I don't see the soldiers abusing anybody; there are no burning buildings, no massacres.

Curious, she drifted closer to the crowds. Her musings were interrupted by Li and Nicky's approach. They'd finally returned after spending the afternoon pursuing Nicky's daily round of looking for odd jobs. The familiar lump came to her throat when she saw his face, and how he avoided looking her in the eye by leaning down to speak to the boy. Unable to watch him come closer, she turned around.

Li dropped the gold coins in Nicky's hand.

"Here. Why don't you hold onto these?"

"Really?" Nicky closed his fist over them with a dazzled look in his eyes. "But you helped me scrub those floors. It's part yours."

"I scrubbed floors quite a bit when I was your age; I never got paid to do it. Besides, I don't need it. You use it to take care of your sister."

He straightened and saw to his relief that Sakura had turned away and was staring at something on the wall of the building.

She really shouldn't be out here at all, he thought irritably, but turned down the alleyway without approaching her. They hadn't spoken once that day, and he didn't want to be the one to break the silence. But then he noticed how she was standing, hugging her arms close to her chest and breathing raggedly. Something was wrong.

"Go on up, Nicky."

"But I - "

"Go on, already. I'll be right there." He gave a light push on his shoulders and closed the distance between him and Sakura.

"Sakura?"

She didn't answer, so intent on staring at the wall. He could see now that she was fighting tears.  
"Sakura, you really shouldn't be out here. I've seen a lot of soldiers in this neighborhood today." Still no reply, and he stepped closer. "What's wrong?"

She sniffled and indicated the graffiti in front of her. Someone had dipped a stick wrapped in cloth in black tar, and written across the wall.

"What?"

"Can't you read?"

"No."

She glanced up in surprise. Li reddened slightly and swallowed.

"I, uh, never had a chance to learn."

"Oh." She blushed as well, embarrassed. Her own father had taught her to read when she was young; she'd grown up with educated people. It had never occurred to her that someone as smart and strong as Li might not be able to read. "Um, it says 'dissident'. I hadn't bothered to wonder why this shop was boarded up. Now I know."

At last she tore her gaze away from the hateful word and turned back to face the street.

"So that's how he's doing it. No acts of mass torture, no flagrant abuse. Just quiet, simple arrests of the people that speak out against his rule. He imprisons them, destroys their livelihood, and makes sure that everyone else can see it. No wonder they're all so quiet."

Li watched as tears slid down her face. Then she gave a choking sob and began to cry in earnest.

"Hey, whoa, stop that. It'll be all right." Tentatively he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be okay."

She shook her head.

"No it's not, Li. It's never going to be okay. Don't you get it? General Gorrell pulled a major military coup, and betrayed us. But he wasn't alone. He had friends, and I don't know who. I don't know who in the army actively tried to destroy my family, or who was just following his orders. Even if we win, and I take Gorrell down, then what? Do I arrest every soldier in the army? I can't do that; we need men to keep law and order in the country. But what do I do about the men that killed or hurt people while looking for me?" She was wiping away tears as she spoke with her sleeve, but she just couldn't stop the flow. The full impact of the tasks before her was only just now making itself felt.

"And what about non-military? Did any nobles assist the General? How will I know who they are? My brother will have to begin his reign with the countryside unsettled and in uproar after such unexpected overthrows, and the people will be more susceptible to jackals and thieves, like the ones that killed your father. Not to mention threat of war from any of our neighbors. There's never been a problem before, but with things so uncertain, and a brand new king..." She shrugged. "Who knows?"

Li was silent. He'd never considered what was going to happen if Sakura managed to succeed. The responsibilities of running the country were totally foreign to him.

"It's too much," she wailed. "I don't want to… it's just too much!" She submitted completely to the tears and let Li take her in his arms. "I'm only sixteen years old. I can't do all this. I just can't!"

"Shh… you can. I know you can. You were born to rule, you can do this." Li stroked his fingers through her hair as she cried on his shirt.

"I'm not ready, I'll never be ready. I just can't do any of this! He's already ruined the lives of so many people, and I'll never be able to help them all. Even a sorceress can only do so much."

Her shoulders were shaking, and Li gripped her even tighter.  
"Don't, Sakura. Just because you're princess doesn't mean you're responsible for the happiness of every person in the kingdom. Bad things happen. Something bad happened to me, but I got over it. I dealt with it. Everyone else will, too. All that matters is that you give them the opportunity, and that means getting rid of Gorrell. That's what you have to do first. Concentrate on that, and don't let yourself worry about troubles that aren't even yours yet. You have to focus."

He felt as though he was giving sparring advice to a fellow student, and almost smiled. In a way, politics was rather like a physical fight, though more subtle, and probably more dangerous. It wasn't and never would be his realm, but he knew Sakura could do it. She was much stronger than she thought she was.

"You're so strong," he whispered. "And you're so beautiful…" All he could think about was easing her pain, he couldn't stand seeing her cry so often. Before he knew what was happening, he was kissing her again.

It wasn't the unrestrained passion that it had been before. This time it was a sweet and gentle kiss, a message of comfort and encouragement. Sakura fell into it blissfully, until she remembered and pushed herself away.

"No," she gasped. "Not again. You can't keep teasing me like this, Li." His miserable eyes mirrored her own, until he looked away.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I – I just hate to see you hurt." She uttered a short and sharp laugh.

"Don't like seeing me hurt? That's cute. Take a good look at me, Li. What do I look like now?" He wouldn't look at her. "Because it is way too late to worry about me being hurt, and you know it. You've been killing me ever since that first kiss under the tables. I didn't know men could be so cruel. Are you enjoying it, Li? Having fun with the royalty you hate so much?" Angrily she pushed him and spun on her heels to march away.

"Hey!" Li grabbed her elbow and arrested her mid-stride. "You think this is fun for me? You actually think I take pleasure in feeling like this? Seeing you like this?" He felt a spark of anger as he yanked her around to face him again. "Don't you know how hard this is for me?"

"For you?" Sakura asked bitterly. "You're joking, right? Do you have any idea what I've been going through these past few days?"

"I - "

"I mean, besides living in the woods and hiding from my parent's murderer, who wants to take me as his wife and permanent love slave? I have been getting over the death of the one man in my life that I ever thought I could love, a man who was gentle and sweet and loving and didn't deserve to die!"

"I know - "

"I loved him!" she shrieked, and pushed Li away again as he tried to quiet her. "I loved him so much… and the pain from knowing that he's gone forever is like a little death of my own. I was grieving, and in pain, and I never expected finding someone like you that could help me start to forget. I opened up to you, Li, I reached out. I gave you my first kiss! And you pushed me away. You led me on, and you rejected me."

Li pushed his bangs out of his eyes and glared at her.

"How many times do we have to go over this? You're a princess; I'm a peasant. Guys like me are not allowed to kiss women like you!"

"You think that really helps the way that I feel right now? That it makes my suffering even a little less? Because it doesn't." She couldn't stand looking at his face anymore and strode away, almost running down the street.

"Hey, come back here! Damn it, you can't be wandering around the city, Sakura." He hurried to catch up with her, but she shrugged him off when he laid a hand on her shoulder.

"No. Don't even touch me. Just the feel of your hand is too much."

It was obvious that he was going to have to tackle her to get her to stop, and that would attract too much attention. Not sure what else to do, he kept pace as she walked.

Round-eyed with amazement, Nicky stepped away from the shadows of the building, scarcely able to believe all that he'd heard. A lot of the conversation subject matter had been too complicated to understand, but of one thing he was fairly clear: the girl that had been sleeping upstairs was _the_ Sakura, the princess of the country! Why was she in such poor and ragged clothing, and hiding with him and Claire? And why was she with Li? His curiosity was too much to overcome, and he began to follow the other two.

"As if I wasn't in enough pain," Sakura gritted, glaring at the stones of the street. "Parents dead, Yukito dead, my brother in chains… me on the run and my friends in danger of their lives just for staying by my side. And then you happen. How many more disasters are around the corner?"

"Sakura, I never meant to be a part of the pain in your life. In fact, I never meant to a part of your life, period. I wasn't exactly given much of a choice, you know." She wasn't slowing down any, nor would she look him in the eye as he spoke. "This was your mission from the beginning, not mine. I lost my home and I'm a wanted man because of you. I know what it's like to have a life full of disasters, my parents are dead too. You really want to compare pain?"

"No! I want you to forget about class for once!"

"I wish that I could. I want to so bad, it hurts inside. But this isn't about me, and what I want. It's about the way things are. Why is it so difficult for you to understand? Why can't you just accept it!"

They came upon the evening market, and all the carts and tents of vendors selling their vegetables and skins of milk in the open cobbled space of town. Sakura stopped walking when she saw the crowd and turned to face him, so suddenly he almost crashed into her.

"Because – because…" She wanted to tell him why she couldn't accept it, longed to get it off her chest. But the words died on her lips when she saw his face.

I can't tell him, even though it hurts to not be able to say it. It won't matter to him; he'll just push it away like he did me. I don't want it thrown in my face.

Li waited, but when she pressed her lips together and remained silent, he spoke again.

"This is hard for me, Sakura, whatever you may be telling yourself. It's so hard." He paced a little and raked his fingers through his scruffy hair. "I look at you, and it kills me. Every second I spend with you is like torture, knowing that I don't deserve to touch you. It's excruciating."

Sakura wiped her tears again and watched his shoulders slump under an invisible burden of agony. He really was in pain.

"It's killing me too," she said softly. "Who knew two people could make each other so miserable?"

He looked up and met her eyes. Those tortured emerald eyes. If he was causing her so much hurt –

"Then maybe I should go."

"Maybe you should."

There was a beat of stunned silence, and he swallowed and looked away. He'd been promising himself that he would walk away for days now, despite knowing how much she wanted him to stay with her. But now that she'd actually said it, she'd actually told him to leave, he couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that she wanted him gone.

Sakura saw the surprised hurt in his eyes and was about to speak when he reached forward and pulled her close. She squeaked, and he hastily shushed her.

"Don't move," he hissed. "Don't turn around. Just keep your eyes down." His arm was around her waist, holding her still, and she trembled. All she could see was the weave of his rough cotton shirt, and she felt a rush of terror for her unseen enemy.

"How many?" she whispered. He didn't answer immediately, and her stomach knotted up in dread. "How many?"

"Not…too many."

"How many is that?"

"Um, six." She groaned. "No, make that eight. They must have formed a larger party to search the market. Doubtless they've guessed we've arrived in town."

She whimpered, and he clutched her a little tighter.

"Shh. Don't panic, stay calm. There's too many people here for them, we'll get out all right."

"I'm scared."

"Don't be. Control your fear. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head and began to back away.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	13. ch12 capture

**Chapter 12**

'**capture'**

Sakura kept her head down and her face buried in Li's shirt as he held her close. They were standing in the shadow of a large tented stall, the chickens clucking and scratching about in the pen by their feet.

"Why aren't we moving?" she whispered.

"Because there are more by the entrance. Better to stand still and wait for them to leave."

"What if they don't?"

"They have to eventually. Tomoeda's a big city, they can't spend too much time searching in any one area."

What he said make perfect sense, but Sakura still had to push down the feeling of dread and force herself to breathe. Li had saved her from the soldiers many times before, there really shouldn't be anything to fear. But there were just so many of them. Why did there have to be so many for one small area?

"You there!" someone barked, and she jumped. Li only held her tighter.

"Yes?" someone else replied.

"Have you seen a girl come through here today? Short brown hair, green eyes?"

"Aye, sir, plenty of girls come through here today."

"Any that looked like the princess?"

"Her highness? Nay, sir, none like that." The soldier turned away from the vendor and approached a young couple. The girl had short brown hair.

"You two. Turn around."

It's over, thought Sakura, and swallowed. Li was loosening his hold; his muscles tense and prepared for a fight.

"Are you deaf? I said to turn around!" The soldier strode forward and laid an impatient hand on Sakura's shoulder. Instantly Li grabbed it and twisted, and the man uttered a yelp as Li brought him straight down to the cobbled ground. Li smashed his head against the stones and knocked him out, but it was too late. The others had heard and were looking their way.

"There she is!" one shouted, and Li grabbed her hand.

"Come on!" They tore through the pen, chickens squawking and fluttering around their feet. Behind her Sakura could hear the sounds of swords being drawn, and shouts to surround them. She wanted to panic, but there was no time. Instead she only gripped Li's hand tighter as they raced through the stalls.

We've got to keep moving, thought Li, we've got to run. If we're pinned down by too many of them, it's over.

Two soldiers with drawn swords stepped in their path, and he and Sakura skidded to a halt before breaking to the right.

"You! Stop where you are! Halt, I say, halt!" They paid no attention as they passed a large cart full of wine barrels, and Li paused to pull the latch out. The gate opened and the large wooden barrels tumbled out, thwarting their pursuers.

"Li, come on!" Sakura had gotten slightly ahead of him, and he hurried to catch up.

"Don't wait for me, damn it, just keep going!"

She glanced over her shoulder to reply, and didn't see the soldier raise his hand to her.

"Get down!" After a week of traveling with him, she'd learned by now to obey his orders instantly and without question. She dropped to the ground, and Li launched into a ground-covering flying side kick. He smashed into the other man, and almost hit the ground himself, his momentum had been so great. But he righted himself just in time, and together they sprinted down a row of tents.

- - - - - -

On a calm spring night, the prince had been tossing and turning in his bed for a few hours before he surrendered and sat up. There wasn't a sound to be heard; the room was pitch dark. So why couldn't he sleep? Would a glass of water help? Or better yet, wine? Touya shifted with the intention of sliding out of bed, and fell right out of it when the explosion hit. From beyond his private bedroom door, he could see the red afterglow of some kind of magical blast. There was a battle cry, and then a scream of agony.

He'd rolled out of bed and raised his fists before his mind even fully caught up. He was under attack.

- - - - - -

Li had to push Sakura away before the soldier could grab her, then he jumped and landed a solid kick on the man's chest. He grunted and stumbled back, but there were two more that were almost there.

"Run!" he shouted, but she shook her head.

"We're not going to split up." Instead she pulled Li's knife from its sheath and swiped at a rope by her head. His puzzled look gave way to one of surprise as a hide tent came billowing down upon the heads of the soldiers. For the moment, they were trapped.

Not bad, he thought, as they turned to run once more. She's obviously been learning.

"Now what?" she panted as they broke stride once more and ran away from their attackers.

"We keep running."

Someone swinging a sword came at him, and he ducked under the slice before springing up to punch him directly in the nose. Temporarily blinded by the sudden pain, the soldier backed up, right into the range of the heavy bone that Sakura snatched off the butcher's cart. He dropped to the ground. Sakura flushed proudly, and Li had to pull her away. Every second that they wasted fighting someone was only more time for the others to get closer. They couldn't keep up this cat-and-mouse game forever. How did they get out of this place?

- - - - - -

Tim came flying through his door, and he hit the ground and rolled.

"Tim! Timothy!" Touya anxiously shook the shoulder of his bodyguard. These men were his friends as well as his protectors, and Tim was covered in blood. His eyes fluttered open and he drew a shallow breath.

"Under attack," he wheezed. "Don't know… who they are…" There was a shout, and Touya looked up to see a stranger in his doorway, a man clothed entirely in black and wearing a black cloth around the lower half of his face.

"Surrender!" he shouted, before leaping at the prince. Touya stood and blocked his every strike before delivering a blow so powerful that the man hit the wall.

I need to get to my sword, he thought, but it was on the other side of the room. He started to cross the distance, but more were spilling through the doorway. How many were there, and why were they here? How much longer until he and the King's Own were overwhelmed?

He snarled and met his attackers head-on.

- - - - - -

Sakura saw the fist coming and reacted. Pulling the arm past her and following in its trajectory, she crouched and yanked, throwing him off his feet and sending him to crash on the stones.

"Wow! Did you see that?"

"Very nice," Li complimented her. "Now run!"

"Oh yeah." She watched him jump and grab at a solid pole to swing his body around, until his boots connected with the chest of another pursuer. He toppled back into his comrade and both fell. Li hit the ground again running, and grabbed at her hand.

"Look, over there!" She followed his gaze and saw the high brick wall that bordered the market square. "If we can get up and over that, we're free."

A nice thought, but Sakura wasn't so sure they were going to make it. It was too far away, and there were still more men trying to surround them.

They'd barely reached the edge of the market when they were finally forced to halt. The soldiers had encircled them, and were closing in. Sakura gulped and clutched Li's knife a little tighter in her hand, and Li drew his sword.

It was time to fight.

- - - - - -

Touya ducked under the swinging blade and kicked the attacker sharply in the ribs. The remaining men of the King's Own had been forced back into his bedroom, and together they tried to put up a defense around Touya. Touya, however, would have none of it.

"Get back, your highness! Please!" The prince shook his head.

"There are two men down, Samson, you need all the help you can get." It wasn't just his fighting ability that was needed, he realized. Another of the attackers opened his fist to reveal a glowing ball of red. The others couldn't see it, but he could, and he yelled a warning. "Get down!"

Just in time they dove behind the cover of the large bed, as another magical blast rocked the room. It sounded like a war zone, Touya thought, as he jumped to his feet. Surely the whole palace had heard them by now. Why wasn't any back-up arriving?

He felt a slight misgiving for the rest of his family, and in a moment of distraction, failed to see the staff swing for his head. The hard blow almost knocked him unconscious, and as it was he was knocked away from his bodyguards, rolling across the thick carpet towards the balcony doors. He was barely able to deflect the next blow, dizzy as he was, but he managed to climb to his feet and elbow the man in the chin. But still more were coming, spilling between him and his friends. They were cutting him off.

- - - - - -

There were just too many, Sakura realized, and she ducked and rolled under their feet as they came for her. Maybe if she could lead a few away from Li...

Some of them broke away to follow her, and she mentally cheered before realizing that this was not in itself a good thing. She backed up to a pile of melons and held out her knife in a pathetic imitation of Li.

Why oh _why _couldn't I train with my brother and Yukito? If I ever become queen, I'll make sure girls can enroll in those classes as well as men.

It was too late now, but she swiped at the nearest man anyway. A red streak appeared on his arm, and he gritted his teeth and backed away. The next two were more careful, approaching her from both sides. Uncertain what to do, she took a skipping kick that Li had shown her and got one in the gut. He grunted and doubled over, and before she knew what she was doing, she'd planted the knife in his belly. They traded shocked looks, his for his death, and hers for the surprise of actually murdering someone. She'd never thought she would have the courage to do it. But a fight for survival could bring out the worst in even a delicate princess.

Li was aware, in the back of his mind, that Sakura was no longer beside him, but he couldn't worry about that right now. Already he was totally focused on the fight, concentrating on the enemy. It was the only way to survive.

He slashed and struck with his sword, killing two soldiers in one stroke. One man was cut across the inner arm, and fell to the ground as his sword was knocked high into the air. For the briefest of moments, Li paused in the fight to hold out his left hand. Falling… falling… and then the sword dropped neatly into his outstretched hand. Now doubly armed, he wheeled and spun through the crowd, his twin blades flashing in the late afternoon sunlight. He had no idea how many enemies were actually present, but his fighting instincts were taking over, the swords practically moving of their own accord as they blocked every strike and inflicted their own fatal damage.

Peeking over an abandoned chopping block in the butcher's tent, Nicky was lost in awe. He couldn't believe that Li had a sword, and could it use it so expertly. He was so strong, so nimble. Even against the mob of bully soldiers he could hold his own. The boy watched him, devouring every motion of the fight, and became filled with a resolve. When he grew up, he wanted to be exactly Li.

- - - - - -

Touya could no longer see his friends, but from the sound of it, there was still a struggle going on. They must be holding their own. He concentrated on smashing the two heads of his attackers together, then grabbing the collar of one.

"Who are you?" he shouted, and pulled at the man's mask. Attackers from Satyr, perhaps… or a private team of assassins…

"Must capture the prince," slurred the man. He was barely conscious, and wasn't focusing on Touya's face. "Must capture prince…" Touya dropped him in disgust, a quiet cold anger settling within him. This man was Hapeynian, and so were all the others, likely. This was no invasion, it was an attack from his own people. But who were they, and what did they want with him? And how had they gotten through palace security to this wing?

- - - - - -

Sakura slashed at another attacker, but someone else wrapped his arms around her from behind and hoisted her off the ground. Her arms were trapped, and she screamed, kicking wildly but unable to land any strikes. Then he grunted, and the arms around her went slack. She turned as he slumped to the ground at her feet, his face almost obscured by the red slush of the cracked melon. Nicky was perched on the pile, grinning madly.

"Nicky! What are you doing here?"

"Wont to help!" He jumped down and tried to make his way to where Li was still battling.

"Oh no, no you don't. It's way too dangerous, you shouldn't even be here." She yanked him backwards and pushed him toward the way they had come. More soldiers were coming for her, but they would ignore the boy. How were they all arriving so fast? Had they all been so close by?

"Nicky, listen to me. You've got to get home, you have to go back to your sister."

"But - "

"Go. I need you to tell Kero and Tomoyo what happened in case I can't make it back. Do you hear me?" He obviously didn't want to leave, and looked at her, crestfallen. "Go on, go! Please!" She gave him a little push, then broke into a run. They were nearing, and she couldn't afford to waste any time.

"Halt! Stop, I say!" The soldiers were shouting at her to stop as they rushed past Nicky, ignoring him. He shuffled and hesitated, then turned to run home. There was nothing more that he could do here.

- - - - - -

There were just too many. Forced back against the doors, Touya realized he had no other option but to open them and retreat to his balcony. He didn't like how he was being backed into a corner, but he had no choice. There was just one bodyguard left standing now, and he was diligently fighting them off from his position in the corner.

"Go on!" he shouted to the prince. "I can hold them back for as long as you need!" Touya didn't like it, but he dove outside and slammed the doors shut, then braced the balcony tables and chairs against them. It wasn't much, but it would hold for a little while. Perhaps he could scale the palace walls down into the courtyard – he hit his foot against something as he crossed to the edge, and glanced down and smiled. He'd left his bow and quiver out here the day before, and he stooped to pick them up. Upon straightening, he heard a loud roar to his right, and glanced over. Out of the window some way across the wall, there was a golden flash of magic, and a winged lion sailed out into the open. In the moonlight, Touya could plainly see his sister and Tomoyo on the back of Keroberos.

"Sakura!" His worst fear had been realized; this wasn't an isolated attack on him, they were after everyone. His parents must be in danger, too.

But he couldn't worry about that just now. Someone was leaning out of his sister's window, aiming an arrow at Kero as he flew out over the courtyard. Touya took aim and released, lodging an arrow of his own in the man's head. He'd be damned if he let anybody hurt Sakura.

- - - - - -

A hand closed over her wrist, and she screamed before remembering that she had to fight back. Inexpertly she kicked him in the chest, then smashed her foot into his face. It was sloppy technique, but emergency strength gave it enough force to make him stumble back and release her.

Yes!

Once more Sakura took flight, dashing across the market grounds to try and close the distance between her and Li. He was backing up to the high stone wall, still fighting off the crowd of soldiers. Already many were lying on the ground, bleeding to their death. Out of nowhere, a burly soldier tackled her to the ground, and she squealed. His arms were thick and strong, and he held her in an iron grip as he pulled her to her feet. It was so tight, it was difficult to breathe.

"Li!" she screamed, panicked. He took his attention off the fight just long enough to see her struggles, and was rewarded with a burning pain across his left arm. Someone's blade had finally drawn his blood, something that hadn't happened in many years. He dropped the sword in agony and slashed at his attacker with his right blade, killing him instantly. But now his left arm was bleeding and unable to wield a weapon. And his right arm was beginning to ache with all the motion, still tender from being dislocated the day before. Surrounded like he was, instinctively he backed up, then jumped to higher ground on the pile of crates stacked by the wall. It was only then that his brain caught up with his instincts, and he realized that he'd left Sakura behind on the ground.

- - - - - -

They're everywhere, Touya realized, and raised his bow again after reloading. There were men perched on every rooftop in the palace, on all the buildings around the courtyard. It was night, but they were wielding magical weapons that glowed with red magic to his eyes. It was easy to see them as they surrounded his sister and tried to throw large nets over Kero.

There's too many. This is no kidnapping attempt. This is a revolt, an overthrow. But these men aren't peasants, they fight too well, they're too organized. And the countryside hasn't exactly been brewing with revolution. Where are they all from?

Methodically Touya began to shoot, reloading and firing as though he was only doing some casual target practice. They were trying to trap his sister, prevent her from escaping, and he would not allow that to happen. He paid no attention to the sounds of the battle behind him, and the kicking on his door. They'd be coming through soon enough, but first he was determined to make sure Sakura got away safely. Again and again he shot at the men on the roof, until he ran out of arrows. He'd killed almost every one when Kero's golden glow at last disappeared through a corridor, and he exhaled in relief. She was away, and safe.

She knows the palace well enough to get out, I hope.

There was a crash behind him, and he set his bow down to place his hands on his head. There was no more time, no time to try and escape down the walls. Fighting at this point was obviously futile; he'd seen how many were involved. There was nothing to be done now except taken prisoner.

- - - - -

"Sakura!" he shouted helplessly. He was cornered, up here, it was unthinkable to try and jump down now. The soldiers below him spread out uncertainly. With his advantage of height, they couldn't press forward and attack. Nobody wanted to be the head of a frontal assault; they'd seen what he could do.

"Run!" she screamed, as she squirmed in her enemy's arms. "Go on, run!"

She had to be joking, right?

"Not a chance!"

Terrified, she realized a soldier near her was loading his bow, ready to shoot Li as an easy target.

"No!" The arms around her tightened, and she jerked her head backwards to smash into the man's nose. He yelped and loosened his hold enough for her to wriggle free. Just in time she tackled the soldier and sent his bow flying. "Li, run!" She scrambled to her feet and tried to break away, but the man she had hit grabbed her ankle and yanked hard. She crashed to the ground, and felt tears spring to her eyes at the sudden painful impact.

"Sakura!" With her body sprawled across the ground, she could feel the tremor of hooves easily. Several of them, and growing louder by the second. There must be more of them. How were they all getting here so quickly? Had they been so close this whole time?

"Li, there's more coming!" Someone gripped her tunic and pulled her to her feet. She struggled still, but it was no use. They were simply too strong. "There are too many of them for you to fight, you have to run!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"You have to," she sobbed. Terror was bubbling up inside her, not for her fate, but for Li's. She would be all right, they wouldn't harm her, but Li… "Please. They'll kill you!"

She looked up at his face. He was panting hard, trying not to show any pain, but she could see the blood soaking his sleeve. His eyes were filled with fear for her, but it was nothing akin to the fear she felt for him.

"I'm ordering you to run!" she shrieked.

"I'm not - "

"You have to, Li! I can not watch one more person I love die trying to protect me!"

She looked so frantic, so desperate. Li inhaled sharply at her surprising declaration. She _loved_ him?

Now he could hear the horses approaching too. There were too many… he couldn't fight them all off. He looked once more at her frightened green eyes and knew that it was over. This time he would not be able to save her.

Almost before his mind had reached the conclusion, he withdrew his sword and scrambled up the side of the wall, kicking the crates below him so they would topple down onto the soldiers. An arrow plunked off the wall beside him, and he pushed himself harder. Both of his arms were killing him now, and he pulled himself to the top with the last of his strength. Then he had time to look back at her just once more, helpless in the grip of some soldier, before crawling down the other side.

Sakura collapsed with relief as he disappeared from view, even as the men started climbing up to follow him, and others ran to circle around to find him on the other side. She knew he would get away. He would escape, and he would be safe. The man she loved was not going to die for her, not this time.

- - - - - -

They said nothing. They merely tied his hands behind his back and told him to keep silent, then pushed him out through his bedroom, stepping over the bodies of both their men and his, and into the hallway. He couldn't believe how many there were out in the corridor, all clad in black and wearing the masks across their faces. There was a certain diligence about them that seemed familiar. They all had perfect posture and carried themselves with a snappy discipline that was almost like –

The hands on his arms arrested his walk, and tightened imperceptibly. They were waiting now. And sure enough, their leader ambled out of Sakura's room and looked his prisoner leisurely up and down.  
"Gorrell?" The older man nodded.

"Your highness. So good to see you this evening." Colonel Blackstock was right behind him, grinning smugly at the prince.

They're all in on it, Touya realized dumbly. I can't believe it. The entire military has revolted.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking over the palace. Surely even you must have realized by now what this is."

"I know what this is." Touya forgot himself and tried to step closer, but the hands on his arms weren't giving any. "This is treason. You won't get away with it."

"I already have, Touya. Look around you. The entire palace is already under my control. You're looking at your new king." Touya seethed, and the General smirked. "I've been planning this for a long time, Prince Touya. And it all went exactly to plan. I win."

"It didn't go exactly to plan." The young man nodded his head to the room they'd just left. "I know someone got away." He was rewarded with a flash of annoyance in the General's eyes.

"Momentarily. But I've heard she flew down to the dungeon, and I'm sure she's trapped now. I really must go and see to things." He waved his hand. "Lock him up."

"Wait." Touya resisted their pull. "Wait, I want to see my parents. Where are they?"

Gorrell crossed his arms.

"Surely you realize that you're no longer in a position to be giving me orders, your highness." Touya did realize that, but he kept his chin held high anyway.

"I just want to see them. Where are they?"

The General only chuckled and shook his head, and Blackstock clucked his tongue sympathetically. Touya felt a moment's panic. Perhaps they were just teasing him, wanting to see how he would react.

"Are they all right? What did you do with them, Gorrell?" Still no reply, and he threw himself straight at the traitor. It was only with considerable effort that the men on either side were able to keep him back. "Where are they? I want to see them!"

"Sorry, Touya, you won't be seeing them again. The sun rises and falls on the leadership of the kingdom." He sauntered a little closer, enjoying the frozen look on the face of his prisoner. "Your father's sun has set. Unlike your sister, I didn't need him or your mother alive." He smiled once more, then turned and retreated down the hallway. Touya felt all his strength leave him as he was dragged in the opposite direction.

It was true, then. His parents were dead. Yukito was very likely dead. And his sister was about to be taken prisoner. In one night, Touya's world had been turned upside down, and he fell into a glazed stupor as they herded him through the palace and into a wing he'd never seen before. He did manage to keep an air of dignity about him, though barely. He waited until they locked the chains around his wrists, then left the cell and slammed the heavy door shut behind them.

Then, and only then, did he submit to the tears.

- - - - - -

The relief quickly submitted to fear, and she resumed struggling against her attackers. But it was obviously futile, and the man holding her tightened his grip on her arms and waited for the approaching horses. Her mouth went dry when she saw the colonel astride one of them. He gave her a leisurely look, then slid off his palomino and approached them.

"The swordsman?"

"He went over the wall, sir, some men are in pursuit - "

"Go, then. I want him found, and I want him dead."

The soldier holding her hesitated.

"Me, sir?"

"Yes, you. You can let go. She won't be going anywhere."

"Yes, sir." The hands holding her arms opened and released her, and the few soldiers standing there backed away to join the hunt.

For the moment, it was just her and Blackstock, and Sakura trembled slightly. His hand was restlessly tapping the hilt of his sword, and he was unnervingly silent. Uncertainly she took a step back, and was instantly struck across the face. The back of his hand hit her so hard that she fell to the ground.

"I was hoping you would do that," he grunted. She stared at his boots, unable to speak. A stinging pain was running up and down the side of her face, and she fought not to whimper aloud. She wasn't even sure she could stand up, but he reached down and grabbed the collar of her tunic to haul her to her feet. "Bitch," he swore, and twisted slightly to smack her forehead against the saddle of his horse. She tried to turn around, but he pushed her up against his horse and started unwinding some rope from a coil hanging from his tack. "No, no. You stay right where you are. You're not getting away this time, not if I can help it."

He sliced off a length with his knife and began to bind her hands tightly.

"Frivolous whore. Do you know how many men have died while trying to find you? How many of my own men I've lost just trying to track you down?" He tied a final knot, pulling so hard that she yelped. "And all because you don't want to serve your new king. Because you had a whim to run away, I've lost a dozen soldiers!" His irritation was getting the better of him, and he wanted to hit her again. But the General's prize could not be damaged any further. He settled for pulling her away from the horse by her hair.

"Lieutenant," he addressed one of the men that had ridden up with him.

"Yes sir?"

"Ride on to the palace to inform General Gorrell that I'll be arriving shortly. And tell him," his gray eyes glittered with malice as he stared at the shivering Sakura, "that I have the princess in my possession."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	14. ch13 hero

**Chapter 13**

'**hero'**

Tomoyo paced in front of the boarded-up shop, watching the sun approach the horizon.

Where on earth did Sakura get off to? Is she with Li, I wonder? I would have thought she'd tell me before running off somewhere – unless there was an attack. But I was upstairs with Claire, I would have heard, wouldn't I?

"Hmm." She couldn't stand waiting anymore, and came to a decision. "Kero?" She came to a stop under the window and tilted her head back. "Kero?"

"Yeah?" The little creature poked his head out to look down on her.

"Kero, I'm worried. Nicky and Li never came back, and now I can't see Sakura. I want to go look for them."

"I should -"

"No, they might come back. You should stay here with Claire. Okay?"

"All right," he acceded unhappily. "But be careful."

"There are plenty of people about, Kero, don't worry about it. I'll blend in." She tucked her hair behind her ears and returned to the cobbled street. The people still out were picking up their pace, obviously anxious to get to their homes before the sun set. She had to find Sakura before then.

- - - - - -

Li felt enveloped in a kind of stunned disbelief, as though this really couldn't be happening to him. He skimmed over the top of a stone wall, evading the arrows with ease, then leapt to the roof of a household. His right shoulder ached, and the cut on his left arm was bleeding badly, soaking his sleeve. Sweat dripped down his face and got in his eyes, and he shook his head to flick the droplets out of his unruly bangs, then leapt to another roof.

In other words, he looked like someone who had been on the losing end of a fight. That hadn't happened in years. For the last three years of his classes, he'd never once lost a session. And he had held his own against the soldiers this past week, consistently fighting them off despite their numbers and advantage. But not this time. This time he had lost, and Sakura had paid the price.

The soldiers were fanning out and trying to flank him as a few attempted to climb up to where he was. But they couldn't keep up; he had an edge to his flight, the edge of desperation and near-panic. They were feelings he hadn't felt since his father had died, but they lent his feet an unknown speed as he dashed across the top level of the city.

But where was he running to? Where could he possibly go, when he couldn't outrun the memory of what had just happened? Sakura was a prisoner, and he had turned away and left her. He had run. What kind of warrior was he?

His breath was starting to come in ragged gasps, but he didn't slow his pace any. Subconsciously, he'd been running toward the affluent side of town, leaving the buildings and shops behind for the richer homes and the many temples that graced the city.

I'm no warrior. I was only fooling myself this whole time, thinking I was someone special because I knew a few tricks with a magical sword. A sword that I don't even deserve, that I shouldn't even have. I'm just a lowly commoner after all, only thinking of myself. I abandoned her; I left her to a horrible fate. I'm worse than the enemy. And I'm nothing. I'm nobody.

He choked a little, but he didn't have time to sit down and feel sorry for himself. They were starting to close in. Still he ran, unable to even think about taking them all on in his condition. His swirl of emotions made impossible the focus he needed for combat. It wasn't fear that kept Li running from attackers of marginal skill and clumsy maneuvering. It was shame.

- - - - -

Sakura took in the surroundings through glazed eyes. She recognized the rich homes and lavish temples alongside the Great Road that led up from the city interior to the palace; she'd seen them at every parade and every trip to the city that she was allowed. Those days seemed like a hundred years ago, another lifetime, even.

Blackstock urged his horse into a faster canter, despite the double load she was carrying on her back. He was anxious to get the princess safe within the palace walls, determined that she would have no time to struggle free and escape. He had no cause for worry. Sakura had lapsed into a mild state of catatonia upon being pulled up into the saddle, and was almost limp in his arms as he held her tightly. She knew, at some level, that she had lost, that after three weeks of successfully hiding and running, she had finally lost. She knew, intellectually, that she was finally going to be presented to the General, and that nothing was going to save her. But it didn't quite sink in until the colonel slowed to a walk and entered the palace archway, coming to a stop in the yards. That was when she caught sight of him, waiting for her in the shadows of the arch to the building entrance. That was when she returned to reality, and tried to struggle as Blackstock dismounted and pulled her down to join him. But his grip was like iron, squeezing her upper arms so hard that she whimpered aloud.

No, this can't be happening… not after all I've been through… I can't have lost. No! No, this isn't how it's supposed to be!

Blackstock only grunted as she dug her heels into the stones of the courtyard and tried to resist moving forward.

"Just give me another excuse to hit you," he muttered, and gave a sharp jerk to pull her forward. "This is where you're supposed to be, your highness. The sooner you accept that and stop this childish and self-centered rebellion, the happier we'll all be."

But I'm so scared, thought Sakura. So scared.

Her stomach was clenching painfully from nervousness, and she could feel her palms sweating against each other behind her back. She'd rather do anything in the world than face the man she was about to meet: her parent's murderer. What would he do to her?

The General waited patiently in the broad entrance hall, watching the colonel half-drag his prisoner across the courtyard. It had been so long… three long weeks of frustration and uncertainty. He'd hardly been able to believe his ears when he heard the news, but there she was, real and tangible as life. Gorrell had to force himself to take a deep breath. At long last, the final element of his plans was in place. But it would do no good to rush things. He must remember to keep himself in check. After all, he'd been looking forward to this for so long. It would be unseemly if it wasn't done just right.

Gareth reached him at last, straightening his back in proper posture but forgoing the usual salute to keep both hands on the prisoner. She'd stopped struggling for the moment, but she was trembling violently, and her shallow breathing echoed in the hallway. Determinedly she gazed at the stones at her feet, and Gorrell chose to ignore her for the moment, as well. Instead he addressed his friend.

"The peasant?"

"Escaped sir. I have at least a dozen men hot on his tail at the moment, though. I neglected to join the hunt in order to see to this." He indicated Sakura, and Gorrell nodded, refusing to smile. He may have gotten the princess, but he had ordered that man killed. The mission was incomplete.

"And the Sun Guardian?"

"No sign of him at all."

"Well then. You know what you have to do."

"Yes sir." Blackstock scowled inwardly. It would have been nice to at least hear a word of congratulations on obtaining the princess. But it was true, the mission was incomplete. All he had to do now was take care of the swordsman and the Sun Guardian. Then he would be free to accept reward. Gorrell gave a dismissive wave of his hand, and the colonel released Sakura to salute and leave.

As painful as his grip had been, Sakura felt a sense of dread at the man's departure. She was alone with the General now. She could feel his stare, even though she still had not looked up from the floor. His polished black boots took a step closer to her, and it took every bit of nerve she had left to not back up.

"And here you are," he murmured. "I can hardly believe it, after all this time. I suppose you can hardly believe it either, hmm?"

There was a pause, but Sakura didn't speak. Maybe if she just stared at the floor and ignored him, he couldn't hurt her. The boots were turning now, and he began a leisurely walk around her.

"You wouldn't believe the time and effort I've put into finding you, your highness. Energy that could have been better spent running my new government." For the first time he touched her. Not a hard blow like Blackstock, but a gentle touch as he traced a fingertip across her upper back. She cringed. "It was so obvious that I wanted you here with me, needed you here, yet still you persisted in running. Fighting my men, even. Everybody's been to a considerable amount of trouble because of you." He came to a stop before her again and took her chin in one hand, forcing her to look at him at last.

"Naughty, naughty girl."

Sakura froze. The peculiar thing about these past few weeks, living in constant dread of this man, was that she really wasn't able to remember what he looked like. She'd never had much of a reason to look at him before, living in the palace and busy with her own life. The military was of no interest to her, only her brother had paid attention to such things. She knew who he was, of course, and could have picked him out at a royal function if she needed to. But there had been no need. Unsuccessfully, she had been trying to recall his face since the overthrow, but it was just a blur of fear in her mind. Now she could see him all too well. He was a muscular man, powerfully built with large hands. His black hair was peppered with silver, advertising his forty-odd years, and a neatly trimmed black beard framed, though it did not conceal, his determined square jaw. Most frightening were his eyes. Flat black and intense, she could see no hint of pity or conscience in them. Only a sadistic desire for power and control. She decided that she preferred the wolf's eyes.

"Did he touch her?" he asked suddenly. She felt confused for a moment, then realized they were no longer alone. Gorrell turned her face to the side, and she found herself staring at a thin old man. Draped in his black robes, he seemed so small, but there was a malicious glitter in his eyes as he drew nearer. She wanted to back away but the General was holding her firmly in place.

Salfrek, assuming it was him, leaned in a little closer and muttered a chant as he cocked his head to the right to examine her, then to the left. She flushed under his gaze.

"She is virginal still."

Nikolai allowed a tiny sigh of relief. He knew that she was royalty, and would probably never dream of allowing a peasant to touch her, but there was no mistaking how beautiful she was, and how long she had been in the company of that boy. It had been his one greatest fear that if he was able to finally capture her, she might already be spoiled.

"But she does love him," the sorcerer continued.

"That's of no concern to me."

Salfrek looked at him sharply and gave a quick cackle. "It will be."

They were talking about her as if she weren't even in the room, and Sakura burned with humiliation. It was so degrading to have her private feelings discussed amongst these enemies.

Gorrell only shrugged. The princess' feelings didn't matter one way or another to him. All that mattered was that she was pure still, and that she was his prisoner.

"Leave us, then. I will call on you if I have further need."

"As you wish, your majesty." The old man bowed and placed his hands together, then disappeared. Maybe it was wishful thinking that Sakura had heard just the slightest edge of sarcasm in that reply, but Gorrell didn't seem to pick up on it.

"There's only one more thing that can make this even more perfect," he sighed, and reached to stroke a tendril of hair back from her face. She flinched, and he smiled. She was so afraid of him… it was intoxicating to be so feared. He had complete control over her, and he savored the feeling.

"Come with me, please." He turned and began to pull her down the hallway.

- - - - - -

Long after Blackstock had ridden out of the palace walls on his horse, Eriol remained where he was, on the far side of the courtyard.

I think where I lost myself was failing to see her as a person. I was so anxious to have the princess here at the palace, to help the General. That was her duty, after all.

Eriol had failed to see her a girl. She was just a sixteen year-old girl, and he had seen Blackstock drag her across the courtyard with the same treatment he would expect a rancher to herd his cow to slaughter. And she had looked about as terrified.

What have I been doing? Whose side am I on? What I've participated in was a kidnapping, no less. I make myself sick.

He whistled, and Ruby raised her head. "Come on, Ruby, we're going for a ride."

"What do you think you're doing, Captain?" One of his fellow officers strode over, bewilderment evident in his features. "You've been confined to palace grounds for the moment, you're under my authority for the palace watch."

"Shut up." Eriol wasn't in the mood for any subtleties and he crossed the courtyard in long strides to reach his horse. She was tied along with the others to the posts, rather than stabled in the back, fortunately. They'd never ordered him to take her back there when dumping him here, so he'd avoided the issue. He liked to have Ruby where he could see her.

"You won't get away with this, Captain. This is insubordination, punishable by death."

Eriol paid no attention as he untied Ruby's lead. He had nothing but the sword that was strapped to his hip, but there was no way to get anything else. He couldn't spend one more minute in this palace, he thought he would vomit.

"Captain, are you even listening to me?"

"No. And that's the beauty of it. For the first time, I'm not listening to the army. I'm listening to me." He moved to mount his horse, but stopped when he felt the prick of metal in his lower back.

"Stand down, captain. That's an order."

"Are you going to let him do that to me?" he whispered. Ruby snorted and reared high into the air, hooves wheeling. Startled, the officer took a step back and Eriol was able to draw his own sword. Cleanly he knocked the blade out of the other's hand.

"Now I suppose I should kill you," he mused. "But that wouldn't be very honorable, to kill an unarmed man. I heard that somewhere. And besides, I did pull a bit of surprise, turning on you and all. I'll let you go this once." He motioned the man to get down on his knees, then rapped him on the temple with the hilt of his sword before mounting. Ruby wasn't wearing any tack or anything, but that would be all right. True horsemen had no need of reigns to guide their horses. He never looked back at the palace or the unconscious man as he rode out the archway. Instead he scanned the city below him. Which way had Blackstock gone?

- - - - - -

Without stopping to think, Li dove underneath the great bell atop a temple. They hadn't seen which way he'd gone, but they could no longer see him, which made them uneasy. As he climbed down the rope, he could hear them shouting to surround the nearby buildings and search them. Best not to climb down just yet.

Both of his arms hurt terribly, but he hung on, swaying in empty space as a soldier stalked through the temple below him, peering around the altar and searching amongst the idols.

Li had never been fond of heights, and he could feel his palms sweating as he watched the soldier below him. His grip slipped a little, and the tongue of the bell swayed dangerously close to the sides.

Come on, damn it, hurry…

At last the soldier rushed out of the temple to join his compatriots, and he could hear them move outward.

Finally. He climbed down the rope as slowly as he could, and collapsed in an exhausted heap on the stairs leading to the altar. The wound on his left arm was still seeping blood, and he was beginning to feel woozy with all the running and jumping and climbing. He'd hardly slept at all the night before, and all he wanted now was to rest.

Sakura…

As his heartrate slowed and the struggle for survival ebbed into the back of his mind, anguish at what he had done reasserted itself. He'd left her! He'd left her alone with those awful, pawing soldiers and by now she was probably in the palace. She was with the one man that she dreaded more than anyone, and who knew what was happening to her right now.

I just couldn't. There were too many… I just couldn't save her. It's all my fault.

Li slumped over and rested his forehead on his knee.

Why did she have to say that she loved me? I don't deserve that. I'm nothing.

- - - - - -

Tomoyo frowned as she tried to find her way out of the twisting alleyway. She'd never wandered alone in the city before, and now she couldn't find her way back to the main road. The shadows were getting deeper, and the distant crowd much quieter. She couldn't even use noise as a compass.

Stay calm, Tomoyo, don't fret.

She was having a difficult time convincing herself. There was no sign of Sakura or Li at all, and these buildings looked so alike. She hurried along the narrow twisting spaces between shops and wondered how she could ever find her way out of this maze. Who knew there were parts of Tomoeda that looked like this?

It was sheer chance that she rounded a corner and saw the road directly in front of her, just as the sun was setting, and she was so relieved that she walked right out into the open without thinking to peek around the corner first.

"Stop right there!" yelled an authoritative voice, and her head jerked up. Colonel Blackstock was pointing his sword at her and shouting instructions for his men to catch up to her and surround her.

Tomoyo lost her head and shrieked, then bolted back down the way she had come. The loud clop of hooves on stone told her that they were coming after her.

Oh no… oh please no… Of all the worse luck! Why did he have to be out here – the one soldier who could identify me?

The tiny lanes were plenty big enough for horses, unfortunately, and she could hear the pursuers growing louder behind her.

"Alive, alive!" the colonel was shouting. "We need her to tell us where the Sun Guardian is!"

Tomoyo couldn't have told him even if she wanted to. Her mind was a perfect blank, she could think of nothing but running from the horses, with the sword-wielding men on their backs. She didn't even know how to get back to the shop, and she didn't know where she was running to now.

What does this remind me of?

A single detached thought ran through her head as she leapt over a rickety gate. The horses cleared it without trouble and continued to pound after her.

Oh yes. This reminds me of the time that bandit attacked me. I ran into the cherry orchard, and Li met him there with his sword. This time I don't know where I'm running to, and I'm not likely to find Li in this maze. This time there is no one to save me. This time, I'm probably going to die.

Another horse came at her from her left, out of nowhere, to cut her off. She screamed and skidded to a halt, then tried to break to her right. But it was too late, in one smooth motion he gripped her arm and dragged her up to sit on his horse behind him – behind him?

Everything was such a blur, his horse was going so fast, and instinctively she squeezed her arms around his waist to stay on. That was when she realized that this soldier wasn't slowing down to turn her over to Blackstock. He was picking up speed, and in spite of there being two of them, his chestnut mare was moving quite fast…

Of course. She shut her eyes and squeezed tighter, suddenly feeling very safe though their danger was far from over. Eriol wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Together they rode through the city, Eriol guiding Ruby easily with his knees. Every step they took was like digging his own grave, but there was an eerie exhilaration to fleeing like this. He decided that it was fun protecting people from the soldiers.

Ruby couldn't outrun the pursuers completely, though, not with two on her back. He urged her to speed up as she raced down a lane into the poorer section of the city. All he needed was –

There. Pushing his horse into one final burst of speed, he drew his sword and slashed at the binds that lashed a pig pen gate before coming to a stop. A light prick on the back of one old sow was all it took to send them into a panic, squealing and milling about in the narrow space. There were far too many to leap over, and the soldiers came to a frustrated stop, their horses neighing apprehensively at the rowdy swine.

"You all right?" Eriol inquired calmly over his shoulder. He sounded cheerful and undisturbed, and Tomoyo was having trouble just getting her breath back.

"Fine," she wheezed. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." The colonel was coming to a stop now behind his men, and he gaped as he realized who he was looking at.

"Captain?"

"Yes, that's me."

Astonishment quickly turned to rage in the older man's eyes. "This is treason! You will hang for this!"

"Yes," Eriol replied amiably, "I thought you'd say something like that." Warily he held his sword out as Ruby pranced a little under him. "You'll have to catch me first, of course."

"Believe me, it will happen. And I will make sure your execution is a particularly painful one."

"Threaten whatever you like, Colonel, I'm not giving this girl up to you." At his unseen direction, Ruby began to back up a little. Blackstock could see his chance at the Sun Guardian slipping away.

"Don't do it, Hiiragizawa. You're throwing away a promising future."

"Hardly. I'm throwing away a shameful past. You can consider this my official resignation. Good day." And with that, his mare wheeled and they thundered down the alleyway.

Blackstock snapped. "Damn it, get rid of those pigs! Hit them, kill them, do whatever you have to do. I want that man brought to me!"

Eriol smiled grimly to himself at the desperation in the colonel's voice, but didn't relax until Ruby had taken several more twists and turns and he was sure they'd lost them.

"I think we're all right for the moment."

"Good," she panted, "because I don't think I can take much more of this." The mare slowed and came to a stop by a rainwater barrel, lowering her head to take a well-deserved drink. Tomoyo slid off the bare-backed horse awkwardly, and Eriol followed suit.

"Why? Why did you do that for me? You're going to die if they ever catch you." His blue eyes twinkled with humor, and something else.

"I was merely taking the lady's advice."

"And what was that?"

"To think about it. And I did. The answer wasn't too difficult."

"Oh."

"And I did have one other incentive." He placed a warning hand on Ruby's flank, mentally commanding her to keep still this time, and leaned down to brush his lips over hers. He wasn't too sure of himself, after all, he had forced that first kiss on her. But she reached up to place her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer, and together they lost themselves in the kiss.

Ruby finally had to give an impatient snort before he could make himself pull away. This really wasn't the time or place to be stopping for a kiss; the colonel was still hot on their tail. She was looking at him so adoringly though. Eriol felt a rush of heat through his body and struggled to contain himself. He'd never known he could feel like this.

"We, uh, better get back to wherever you've been hiding out. We've got to figure out how to get your friend."

For the first time since Eriol had picked her up to ride on his horse, Tomoyo's thoughts returned to their situation.

"What?"

A frown flickered across his face as he looked into her eyes. "You mean you don't know?"

"Know what?"

Uh-oh.

Eriol winced and placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to preemptively comfort her.

"Tomoyo, Tomoyo. I'm afraid… that I have some rather bad news for you."

- - - - - -

Don't cry, Sakura, don't cry. Please hang onto at least that much of your dignity.

She fought to hold back her tears as the General dragged her roughly through the corridors of the palace. He took such big long strides, and with her hands still tied behind her back it was difficult to keep pace with him. She'd barely registered that they weren't heading for the residential parts of the palace after all when he came to an abrupt halt outside a heavy wooden door.

After a good deal of limited pacing and some more push-ups, Touya had finally resettled onto the floor in the hopes of taking another nap, this time without the horrifying dream of his capture. His stomach had been twisting ever since he woke up, like something terrible was about to happen. It gave a particularly horrible lurch when he heard the key turn in the lock, and he hurried to stand.

The door opened, but it wasn't the guard that came through. It was someone that was pushed through, barely able to right herself without the use of her hands for balance. Someone that he had longed to see for three weeks but prayed daily that wouldn't happen. And now his worst nightmare had come true.

"Sakura?" he whispered. She looked up and met his gaze, and he saw the color drain from her face when she saw the condition he was in.

"Oh Touya," she choked, and rushed forward into his arms. Her big brother, her only family… oh, how it hurt to see him like this. She buried her face into his shirt and forgot her promise to herself as she began to sob. She couldn't hug him, even, but he was doing enough of that for the both of them, squeezing her so tightly that she could hardly breathe.

His sister, his little baby sister. What was she doing here? How could this happen? Everything had gone horribly, terribly wrong.

Stupid, stupid Sakura, he thought, as he held her close. Why did you try to come back? Why didn't you run? You shouldn't have come back for me.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed into his shirt. "I'm so sorry!"

"Shh. No. Don't be sorry." He heard his voice crack, and he had to swallow before speaking again. "It'll be all right." A blatant lie, of course, and everyone there knew it.

He ignored the General smirking in the doorway and leaned in close to whisper in his sister's ear.

"I'm the one who's sorry," he murmured. "I didn't do a good enough job. I should have been a better protector, a better leader, I should have seen this coming. I failed you."

Unable to speak, Sakura shook her head in a frantic denial. This wasn't Touya's fault, it wasn't her fault. The blame lay with Gorrell, but against him she could do nothing. And she never felt more like a helpless little girl than she did right then, wrapped in her brother's arms and crying like a child. Despite his long confinement, his arms were as strong they'd ever been, and it felt so good to just snuggle into them.

It was all very sweet and touching, but Gorrell had had enough. He cleared his throat, but she just burrowed her face into her brother's chest.

"Sakura. Your highness. It's time to go."

"Just a few more minutes," she pleaded. "I – I haven't seen him so long - "

"And you won't be seeing him again for a long time," he concluded, and had the satisfaction of seeing her gulp. "Unless you come over here right now."

Hesitantly she tried to back away, but Touya only gripped her tighter. "No. Don't."

"I have to, Touya. Don't you see?"

"I don't want to see." He wouldn't let go, hugging her close in some childish belief that if he could just hold on tight enough, she wouldn't have to leave, and they could stay together. "You're my sister."

"I'm sorry, Touya. You know I have to go." Touya pulled away enough to look her in the face, and felt disquieted at what he saw. This wasn't the girl that had laughed and giggled herself sick after the night of the Midwinter Ball. Grief and terror had ravaged her pretty eyes, but panic was conspicuously absent. She knew her fate, knew what she had to do, but she wasn't screaming and kicking. Sakura had grown up a lot these past few weeks.

And as much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew she was right. There was nothing he could now, here in these chains. She was rising up on her toes now to kiss him, and he planted a tender kiss on each side of her lips, tasting the salt of her tears. And then, too soon, she backed away out of his reach.

Sakura could not look at his anguished expression and lowered her eyes as she forced herself to return to Gorrell's side.

Nikolai was flush with vicTouya as he surveyed his prisoners. This was true power: to hold a person's life in your hands, to have the ability to command them in every aspect of their pitiful lives. And she was going to be so easy to control. Her love for her family and fellow humans was her obvious weakness. Feeling good, feeling stimulated, he took Sakura's soft hair in his hand and squeezed his fist tight. She whimpered again, then shrieked and tried to break away when he licked the tears off her face. It was so amusing to watch the prince fight for self-control while sending him looks of bitter loathing.

Then he grew tired of the game and straightened, pushing Sakura into the arms of one of his soldiers.

"Take her to my chambers and get her cleaned up," he ordered briskly. "I'll be up in a while."

Touya closed his eyes, but he could still hear her cries as she was dragged away from the cell, her sobs growing fainter and fainter. When he opened them again, Gorrell was still in front of him.

"You don't have to hurt her," he said at last, in a voice so strained and cracked he could barely recognize it. "She's only sixteen years old. She's just a girl. You don't have to hurt her!"

The grin lit up the General's face.

"But I want to, Touya. She's made me suffer these past few weeks like you wouldn't believe. I want her to beg. I want her to cry. She's in my power now, and there's nothing that will make me happy until she's sobbing at my feet. Do you understand me, your highness?"

"No," Touya gritted. "Come a little closer and say it again, please." Gorrell took a step back and chuckled.

"Oh, I don't think so. You're obviously in the mood for higher stakes now, and I don't blame you. But it's not going to be that easy. The final part of my plan is in motion at last. Your sister will be my bride and my queen, and I will have total control of the kingdom. Nothing can stand in my way, especially you. If she behaves herself, I'll let her come visit you before the wedding."

He took one last moment to savor the look on his prisoner's face before turning and exiting the cell.

"No food or water for the next twelve hours," he warned the guard in a low voice. "No one, and I mean no one, goes anywhere near him until I say so. Understood?"

"Sir. Yes sir."

- - - - -

"Excuse me." Li's head snapped up and he almost raised his fists, but the person who had spoken to him was obviously no threat. She pushed back the hood of her robe to reveal beautiful long red hair, and spoke again. "Excuse me. I must clean the altar, and you're in my way."

"Oh." He stumbled to his feet and moved to the side, and she picked up a bucket and cloth to climb the few steps. "Sorry."

He shuffled away, holding his arm tightly in an effort to stem the blood flow.

Seems like I've been saying that word a lot more lately. I never used to say sorry to people. What's happened to me?

"Nothing," the woman said. "There's nothing wrong with feeling sorry for tragic things that have occurred. What's important is to recognize what tragedies can still be righted."

Li halted mid-step, then turned slowly. She smiled sweetly at him, then redirected her attention to scrubbing a minute speck of dirt from the golden surface of the altar.

"How did you – who are you?"

Her hand stopped moving long enough for her nod graciously in his direction. "My name is Kaho Mizuki. And you, of course, are the one."

She said it so matter-of-factly that Li almost didn't catch it, and he gave her a blank look.

"Excuse me?"

"You are the one."

"One what?"

"The one who has come to save us all, naturally."

Li took a careful step along the temple railing, eyeing her warily. "What makes you say that?"

"Because you are the hero I have seen in my visions."

"I'm no hero - " Li started to say, then got distracted. "Visions?" She nodded again.

"Oh yes. It's amazing the things you see if you watch carefully while cleaning." She scowled a little at the reflective surface of gold as if to demonstrate her point, then crouched to dunk her rag in water again. "You are the peasant with the heart and sword of a noble. I have seen you before. You have to come to save us all."

Li's brown eyes popped open wide and this time he took a step back. "You are a – sorceress?"

"You could call it that if you wished. Sakura preferred simply 'teacher'. We grew to be very fond of each other when I stayed at the palace."

"You know Sakura?"

"Quite well. Her brother too." Her sage eyes clouded a bit as she thought of their fate, then she shook her head and began to clean again. "Terrible tragedy."

Li watched her scrub the edges of the gilded altar, apparently untroubled by his bloody shirt and battle-worn appearance. Cautiously he stepped along the railing and brushed his hands over the smooth wooden surface.

"She's gone. We had a fight, and – and there were just too many. I couldn't win. They took her up to the palace."

"Yes."

"I left her," Li elaborated, not sure why. Something about that face invited confession. "I ran. I mean, I didn't even try to get her. She was on the other side of six or seven swords."

There was no reply, and he swallowed.

"She begged me to run, and I did! I crawled over the wall and I left her alone with the enemy. I promised her I would never do that."

"You ran so you could live. To stay would have meant certain death."

"It's what a true warrior would have done. I know it's what the King's Own must have done the night of the overthrow."

"Perhaps. And what good are they to the royal family now? What good are you to Sakura, when you choose the fate of Yue?"

Yue… that man with wings that Tomoyo had spoken of. He hadn't even been able to measure up to her former bodyguard, the one that she had loved. That was the man that deserved her love.

"It is not for you to decide who deserves her love. That decision rests solely with the princess."

"The princess," he repeated dully. "Doesn't anybody besides me think it's unnatural for a princess to love a peasant? Doesn't anybody else see how wrong it is?"

"There are enough wrongs about here without you searching for more of them. Surely even you recognize the ills that the new government has wrought."

Kaho wrung her rag out, then moved to the head of some ancient idol. Conscientiously she scrubbed it until there was a soft glow reflecting from the candles.

"Well, sure. But what's that got to do with anything? There are still rules, and I know I can't break them. I've seen what happens when I do. I've had enough pain in my life from that."

"But look how strong it made you. See how it shaped your destiny, prepared you for this ultimate test. You were the only one who could have helped the princess make it this far."

Sakura had said much the same thing a few days ago. He recalled how her statement had made him scoff. Coming from this mysterious woman, he wasn't nearly so inclined to laugh.

"I don't believe in things like destiny. We all make our own choices."

"Then why did you choose to help her? For so long you tried to convince yourself that you were somehow trapped in Sakura's situation. Is that the truth of it?"

"I - I -" he stammered, "I was trapped. I couldn't go back… not after they saw me fighting…" His voice trailed off as she studied him.

Once again he was subconsciously reaching for that pendant under his shirt. Her eyes followed the movement of his hand, and she nodded to herself.

"You wanted to prove you were worthy of the sword you carried. Didn't you?"

He could not bring himself to admit it. Instead he pulled it off, watching the candelight reflect off its round polished surface.

"I don't deserve it," he muttered. "Something so beautiful and powerful is out of my reach."

"You don't really believe that," Kaho chided. "You would have never finished your classes if you believed that. You would have thrown Sakura to the soldiers if you believed that. You did choose to stay. Your destiny does lie within yourself. And the choices you've made in your life have led you to this one night, in this city, where you alone can help right the tragedy that has occurred."

She didn't even glance up to see Li's expression after her declaration, concentrating on her scrubbing. She might as well have been asking him to fetch her more water, for all the anxiety that was evident in her voice. Didn't she realize what she was saying?

"You want me to go save her."

"It's not me that's important, though yes, I would like it. It's you that wants it. And her, of course. She would like it very much, I suspect."

"But…" Li felt a little lost, trying to hold a conversation with this woman. "But, I can't. I can't invade a palace and rescue the princess. This isn't some fairy tale. I'm not the fighter I thought I was. I lost today. I ran."

"And for that reason you will abandon Sakura to her fate?"

"Well…" He couldn't quite bring himself to say yes. "I'm not a hero. I'm just a peasant who tried to be somebody he wasn't. I'm nothing."

Kaho paused while wiping down the prayer railing.

"Then this shouldn't hurt." She gripped his wounded arm with a sudden vengeance, causing him to grit his teeth and bite back a yelp. But when she released her hold, he was surprised to discover how much less it hurt. Pulling open the tear in his shirt, he saw the wound close up and the scar fade. "Believe whatever you will about yourself, Peasant Who Wields a Sword, but know that Sakura loves you very much. She doesn't think you're nothing. And now she's trapped by a man who wants to hurt her. All heroes make a choice, like your father once did for your mother. This is your choice: will you allow that to happen?"

Humming slightly under her breath, she picked up her bucket and began to walk to the exit of the temple.

The pain from his wound was already almost gone, and he flexed his arm in wonder. Sorcery, destiny, heroes and princesses… it all seemed a bit much. But she was right. No matter how much he didn't think he deserved the love of someone like Sakura, he could not allow someone to hurt her.

"How did you know to be here?" he called out. "Why were you here to speak to me?" She shrugged noncomittally, then paused and looked over her shoulder.

"Do tell the prince I said hello, when you see him. And good luck." It was definitely a goodbye, and she disappeared into the dusk outside the temple door. Li moved to the window on the far side of the temple and leaned out, inhaling the evening breeze. Tomoeda was quiet now, and still. To his imagination, it seemed almost expectant. Up the hill, the palace torches beckoned.

Sakura was waiting.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	15. ch14 rescue

Chapter 14 

'**rescue'**

Now with three on her back, Ruby was going even slower. But they reached the square quickly enough.

"This is the place?"

Nicky nodded rapidly, and Tomoyo took in the scene. It was clear that some kind of disturbance had taken place here; the tents were demolished and the place in an uproar.

Li had been there all right. But where was he now?

"Are you sure you didn't see what happened?"

"Naw. She made me leave, said I had to tell you all what happened. When I ran, he were fighting off half a dozen men, over there." He raised his hand to point to a wall on the far side of the market, and Eriol prodded Ruby to walk closer.

"Are you sure you're not exaggerating just a little?" he asked dryly.

"With anyone else, I'd say he was," Tomoyo pointed out. "But not Li." She swallowed. There was a good deal of blood splashed on the stones here; but the bodies had already been picked up the soldiers. What if –

Oh please, Li. Please don't be dead. Sakura's in the palace, and you're the only one that can save her.

She got a little lump in her throat thinking about her friend, but she'd promised herself when Eriol told her the news that she would not waste time crying or panicking. She had to keep her wits about her.

"Kero?" she called out tentatively. There was no reply, and she slid off Ruby's back with Nicky. "Are you sure that he came here?"

Nicky shrugged.

"I just said what happened and he flew out the window in a terrific hurry. Looked right mad, he did."

"I can imagine." Tomoyo saw the pile of crates at the base of the wall and began to stack them up. Eriol quickly lent a hand, and soon she was able to scramble up mid-way.

"Kero?" she tried again. "Kero, are you he - "

"I'm here, I'm here, quit shouting all over the place." He popped up and over the side of the wall, startling her so much that she yelped and lost her footing.

"Whoa, careful." For the second time, Eriol caught her in his arms before she could hit the ground. Kero gasped.

"Tomoyo! Run!"

"What?" The little creature folded his wings and dove straight for them, and with horror Tomoyo realized that he was about to transform. "Oh no, Kero, don't!" She pushed herself out of Eriol's arms and wrapped him in a quick hug. "Kero, no! They'll be able to track us!"

His response was slightly muffled, but she caught something about a soldier attacking her, and she blushed. Of course, how could she have been so thoughtless?

"Oh no, it's okay. He's a friend."

"He's not dressed like one," Kero pointed out when she finally released him.

"No, it's okay. He defected, he's on our side now." Eriol was watching the Sun Guardian with fascination, but he was surprised enough to glance in Tomoyo's direction.

"You mean you didn't even tell them about me?"

"Tell us what?" Kero demanded. Tomoyo's blush deepened.

"I, uh, I guess I wanted to keep it a secret for a while."

"Keep what a secret?"

"Um… Kero, this is Eriol. We've met a few times before and, um…" Kero raised an eyebrow. Tomoyo was normally more composed than any of them, but she was squirming under his gaze now. And the captain was putting his arm around her shoulders and –

Oh.

"Bloody hell, Tomoyo. You could have told us you were having an affair with the enemy."

"Well you don't have to say it like that! It was sort of an accident - "

"Never mind that now," he interrupted. "I was following a trail of Li's blood over the rooftops but I lost it when I got to the temples. Looks like they got away, wherever they are."

Tomoyo breathed a sigh of relief. So Li wasn't dead. Then she realized that Kero had said 'they'.

"Oh, Kero, terrible news. Sakura's been captured."

"What!"

"I saw it with my own eyes," Eriol added. "Blackstock dragged her into the palace a little while ago. Your friend Li must have been able to escape." Kero looked horrified, but Tomoyo was still determined not to give in to despair.

"Then I wonder where he went?"

"Would he have gone on to the palace on his own? Try and rescue her?"

Tomoyo bit her lip thoughtfully. She was thinking about how Sakura had told her of the wolf's attack, and what Li had done to save her. They might have been making each other miserable for the past couple of days, but she had no doubt in her mind.

"Yes. Yes, I think he probably went on to the palace to save her."

"Then we're going too. He'll need some kind of backup." She nodded and leant over to face Nicky.

"Nicky - "

"No." He shook his head determinedly. "No, please don't send me away again! I want to help!"

"I know you do, but it's too dangerous. Think about your sister, Nicky, think about Claire. What if something happened to you? Who would take care of her?" Nicky hesitated, clearly torn. "You have a responsibility to her, sweetie. You have to go back and watch her. We'll be fine. It's too dangerous out here in the city to be with us, Blackstock is still looking to capture the Sun Guardian."

"Is he now?" Kero snarled. It was the first time he'd spoken since she'd told him about Sakura, and Tomoyo glanced up, surprised. She'd never seen Kero look so angry, not even after the night of the overthrow. "He wants me? He's going to get me!" And then he was up and away before she could say anything.

"Kero! Wait! Kero, come back!" It was fruitless; he was already invisible in the thickening dusk. She groaned, but Eriol gave her a comforting squeeze.

"It's okay. We'll catch up to him. Come on." He swung up onto his horse easily, and helped her up behind him. She'd never mounted a horse with no tack on before, and she felt so clumsy compared to him. Ruby wheeled and began to canter away.

"Go home, Nicky!" Tomoyo called over her shoulder to the disappointed orphan. "Take care of your sister for me!"

And then he too disappeared in the dark.

- - - - - -

I never really liked heights, thought Li glumly. I guess that's why I always pushed myself so much harder. When Jered dared me to climb this wall, I hardly hesitated.

He gritted his teeth and found another toehold in the old stone wall, pushing himself upward. Jered had never believed that he would actually take him up on the dare, and Li was so determined to prove himself to the nobles that he refused to give into his acrophobia. Never mind that he had almost killed himself when he fell off. He grinned, remembering how angry Wei had been.

And now I'm doing it again. Stupid. But I can't think of any other way in. This is the only section of the palace perimeter that's relatively undefended.

Up a little further…just a little more.

At long last he pulled himself over the top of the wall, and took a short moment to rest. His right shoulder was aching still, but even it felt better after Kaho's healing touch to his arm. More than anything else, the pain reminded him of Sakura. His drive to rescue her consumed him, blanketed his pains and discomforts and fear of heights. No matter what, he had to get her.

Even so, his stomach gave a jolt upon looking down. It was going to be even harder to clamber down the other side, and he would have to do it slowly and quietly as to not attract any attention from soldiers in the yards.

"Hey Li!" He jumped and almost fell right off when he beheld the monster beside him. A great winged cat, like a griffin, was floating in the night sky just an arm's length away. Li yelled and tried to back away, clutching for his pendant.

"Get away! Get off - "

"Hush up," the monster said, irritably. "You're wasting time. It's me, stupid."

The deep and rumbling voice wasn't any that Li recognized, but the attitude –

"Kero?"

"That's right," it answered cheerfully. He lit on the wall by Li, stretching his huge white wings out and luxuriating in Li's awe. "This is that 'other form' that Sakura spoke of so longingly. Much improvement, don't you think?"

He preened a little, and Li tried to get his breath back.

"But – but didn't she say they would detect you?"

Now the beast snarled a little.

"That's right. They want me, and they're going to find me. I'm here to run distraction while you find the prince. We both know she'll never leave the palace if she thinks he's in danger. Now climb on. We've got to move."

Li checked at the sight of the fearsome cat, but the thought of clambering down the palace wall was scarier still. He climbed on Kero's back and they shot out into empty space. Li's stomach heaved, and he clutched at the thick hair to keep from falling off.

"Where were you when I was climbing up the other side?"

"Well, if you had waited instead of running off to be hero - "

"Oh, never mind." Li could hear shouts of astonishment and surprise beneath them, and it was clear that Kero had attracted some attention. "Just fly to the dungeons already. You're going to have to hurry."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Kero grunted, and took a sudden dip to avoid a flying arrow. Li closed his eyes and squeezed tighter.

- - - - - -

Sakura closed her eyes and gripped the edges of the stool until she felt better, then opened them again. She would not give into nausea or hysterics, not now. She was stronger than that. In the back of her mind, she could hear Li telling her to be calm, to not give into her fear. She was determined to be as strong as he was.

The fire crackled merrily in front of her, the only noise in the room. There should have been a poker beside it to stir up the wood, but it was gone. Most likely anything in the room that could have been used as a weapon was removed on Gorrell's orders. After searching for her so long, he wasn't about to let Sakura escape from his own bedroom.

The soldier standing guard by the door hadn't moved an inch, but his sword was drawn and he was watching her every move.

I still don't regret it. I'm scared, I'm terrified, my hands are shaking like autumn leaves, but I know I had to do it. I love him and I can not watch any more people that I love die. Especially not for me.

She set her jaw as she stared, dry-eyed, into the fire. The only other furniture in this room was the bed itself, and she wasn't about to go near it. So she perched on this little stool nervously, clutching her white satin nightgown between sweaty palms.

I know I had to do it…but I'm still scared. He's so strong and ruthless. Will it hurt? If only I'd been able to do it with Li, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. But it's too late now.

Li is gone. He left me to save his own life, like I begged him to, and I hope he's headed back to his valley by now. He never deserved to be mixed up in all this in the first place. It's my fault, all of it. And I'll never see him again.

Somehow, that left an ache even worse than her fear of the General, and she had to take another deep breath.

Stay calm. Don't give into your fear.

- - - - - -

Li rolled across the ground and jumped to his feet, knocking down a soldier who came running. It was dark and most of the men were attracted to Kero's bright golden glow, chasing him as he flapped his wings and soared upward once more. Li watched as he opened his mouth and spewed flame onto those that were unlucky enough to be in range. He had wondered how such an annoying little creature could be Sakura's guardian. Not anymore.

Now he was running pell-mell for the thick wooden doors, barely hindered by the two guards who attempted to thwart him. All of his earlier fears had been swept away in the temple; he attacked without hesitation or fear. He was the stronger fighter, and he would not allow anyone to stand in his way.

The doors had been left foolishly unlocked as soldiers came running out to confront Kero, and they never even made it past Li. He jumped over the bodies and ran into the entrance to the dungeon, racing down the long and winding stairways. The dungeons were a part of the palace that he'd never explored when living here; nobody he knew had ever gone into them. But he could see a glow of fire at the end of a dark corridor, and he followed it until he reached two rows of cells.

Occupied cells. Li swallowed a little as he saw all the people lying in chains, and recalled Sakura reading 'dissident' on the wall of their temporary shelter. Had that only been that afternoon? It seemed a year ago.

Where would the prince be? He strode past the cells, urgency beckoning him to move faster. He did not have a lot of time, anything could be happening to Sakura right now and –

He came to an abrupt halt. This man was chained to the wall in a cell of his own, half-asleep and his nose broken, but Li recognized him anyway.

"Captain?" The older man stirred slightly and looked at him, confused, then his eyes widened.

"Look out!" Li reacted instantly, slamming his elbow behind him and catching the guard full in the face. The soldier stumbled back and drew his sword, but Li evaded it easily and swiveled into a reverse hook kick, knocking him out with a well-placed strike to the temple. Li pulled the keys from his belt before he even hit the ground, and started to unlock the cell door.

The prisoner inside whistled.

Wow. Impressive technique. There's only one man that this boy could have learned that from.

"Not bad," he grunted, as Li knelt beside him to unlock his chains.

"Thank you, sir."

"I guess you're him."

"Him?"

"The one that's got Gorrell so scared." Li found the right key at last and twisted, freeing Blacken's right wrist. He blinked in surprise.

Me? Got Gorrell scared?

"You're the peasant," the captain continued. "The one that saved the king last year."

Li reddened slightly as he unlocked the left wrist. He'd always admired Raoul Blacken, ever since he was a boy, and he felt a touch of shame as he realized what the man must think of him.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you with the princess?"

Li hung his head. "There were too many of them. She's been taken to him."

"Oh." It was impossible to detect what the captain was thinking.

"I'm sorry, sir. I failed. I lost."

"Hmph. Did you die?"

"What?"

"No. You're still breathing, still kicking. You didn't lose. You just prolonged the fight." Blacken held out his hand and let Li pull him to his feet. He was dizzy, but it would pass. "And you came back to get her, I assume."

Li nodded.

"Then you're doing your job. If they hadn't kicked you out when they did, if you'd become a fighter of the King's Own, then you would have taken a pledge like the rest of us. You would have sworn to protect and defend the royal family at all costs. And that's what you're doing. So don't waste any time feeling bad, kid." Raoul snatched the keys from the boy's astonished hands and began to limp toward the cell door. "You're going to have to rescue her on your own, the men and I are in no shape for a fight. We've been chained to a wall for three weeks."

Li felt a trifle nonplussed at this man's matter-of-fact tone, and he trailed him as he began to unlock his companion's cells.

"You want me to do it? Even though I lied to Master Wei and everybody? I'm just a peasant."

"Hell, kid, do I look like I've got time to worry about that? There are townspeople and nobles down here; me and the men have got to get them out. You're the only one fit enough to find her. So go do it, already."

Li nodded again and glanced around.

"Where's the prince's cell? I have to make sure he gets out. She won't leave without him."

"I don't know. The prince was never brought to the dungeons." Raoul paused thoughtfully. "He might be in the tower. The king never used it, but I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Gorrell put him in there. It's the sort of thing he would do."

"The tower. Right." Li turned to leave, but the captain spoke up again.

"Wait."

"Yes?"

"What about the princess' companions? What happened?"

"Her servant is hiding somewhere in the city, but Kero is attacking the men outside. If he covers you, I think you can get out through the courtyards." Raoul nodded and smiled, looking a little more relieved that Li would have predicted. Even with Kero breathing fire, it was still going to be a difficult escape. But they were the King's Own, after all. And time was wasting.

Li tapped two fingers to his temple in imitation of the King's Own salute, which the captain returned, and he turned to run the length of the dungeon. He was heading for the other exit, the one that led up into the palace itself. He knew there had to be one, Sakura said that was how they escaped in the first place. Hopefully he would be able to find the tower soon enough.

I gave the salute. I really shouldn't have, I was never sworn into the guard. But he returned it. He must believe in me. And he doesn't care whether I'm a noble or not.

Li began to run a little faster.

If Captain Blacken believed in him, then it must be all right. He could do this.

- - - - - -

Enough.

Touya clenched the chains in his fists as he stared at the door.

I have had enough. As long as Sakura was free and out of his grasp, I was patient. But he could be hurting her right now, and I can not be patient any longer. I don't care what happens to me, and she doesn't have the luxury to. I will not let him use me against her.

Anxiously he waited for the guard to come through and give him food. But it was taking an awfully long time. He was edgy, frightened for Sakura, and beginning to worry that tonight they weren't going to feed him. At long last he heard the key turn in the lock, and his muscles tensed. It would be now or never.

But the man that came through was not the guard. A stranger was dragging a body into the cell, the body of the soldier who had been standing watch.

What the –

The stranger dropped his load and gave him a cursory glance.

"You the prince?"

"Yes…"

"Good. Come on, we're getting out of here." Li knelt to pull the keys off the guard's belt and crossed the cell. "Give me your hand."

Feeling a trifle dazed, Touya extended his right hand, and Li began searching for the right key.

"I guess you're him, aren't you? The reason Gorrell's been throwing fits this past week."

Li nodded, feeling another twinge of surprise. All he'd ever wanted was to be important, to matter in the palace. And now he did. He wasn't so sure it was a good idea anymore.

At last he found the right key and Touya held out his left hand.

"What's your name?"

"It's Li."

Touya waited expectantly, but there wasn't a family name forthcoming. "What are you doing here?"

"She was captured. I came to rescue her."

"I know that," Touya said impatiently. Li extended his hand but Touya waved it away, standing on his own. "What I meant was, what are you doing _here_? Why aren't you finding her?"

Li felt slightly taken aback. He'd rather expected the prince to be grateful for his rescue.

"I had to find you first. She'd never leave without you."

Touya grunted at that and began to limp towards the cell door. The kid was probably right, but he still didn't like it.

"Well, you shouldn't have wasted your time. But you're here now, so let's go."

He grabbed the guard's sword and left the cell, leaving Li to close the door behind them.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Where do you think? To the military quarters."

"But you're in no shape for a fight," Li panted as he caught up with him. The prince was limping, but pushing himself at a fast pace as he strode down the corridors. "I already freed the captain of the guard, he took the men to escape through the courtyards. You're supposed to catch up with them and get out."

"Not a chance. I made a promise to Gorrell, and I'm going to keep it. That's my sister that he's got. I'm not leaving her."

Li didn't like it, but he wasn't sure what to do except keep going. The prince would obviously have to be stopped by force, and he didn't have time to fight him.

"Well, fine. But don't get in my way, all right?"

Touya snorted. Attitude. Terrific. Just what he didn't need.

"Who are you anyway? Where did you come from?"

Li peeked around a corner: all clear. They continued across the palace.

"It's a long story."

"Indulge me."

Li gave the prince an irritated look. "I was a peasant, I pretended to be a noble, enrolled in the King's Own classes, got caught, got thrown out. All right?"

Touya raised his eyebrows. "You're joking. You mean that rumor was true?"

Li blew his bangs out of his eyes in frustration. "Yes, the rumor was true! Doesn't anybody in the royal family know what's going on in their own palace?"

"Apparently not," Touya answered in a sober tone. "I'm the prince, you know."

"So I've heard."

"It was my job to keep an eye on the state of the people. I was supposed to be watching them. I was born to do it. The entire army rose up against us, and I had no idea it was even coming."

They turned a corner and surprised a soldier; both of them quickly raised their swords.

"Don't spend too much time feeling sorry about it," Li advised, as he raised his sword to block the other's swing. "Focus on righting the tragedy that has occurred." He stabbed the soldier with a fatal blow, then wiped his brow with his sleeve. The prince was looking at him shrewdly, first his face and then the fading cut on his left arm.

"Have you been talking to Kaho?"

- - - - - -

"Finally," the General snapped when Blackstock came galloping up. "Where have you been? The Sun Guardian is wreaking havoc around the outer edges of the palace, I need someone to take charge here."

The colonel drew his sword and followed the beast with his eyes as he flew across the sky.

"I was looking for him in the city. What's he doing here?"

"Came for the princess, obviously." Blackstock scowled. If that was true, the Guardian wasn't doing a very good job of it. He was flying randomly, apparently intent on as much destruction as he could accomplish in the courtyards. He wasn't even trying to invade the palace buildings.

"Animal," Blackstock snorted. "He'll be dead on the stones before long."

"Good. I'll leave you to take care of this mess." Gorrell traced a finger lightly along the collar of his tunic and smiled. "I have someone else to deal with. I'll be in my chambers."

He turned and left the yards.

Raoul grinned as he twisted and threw the attacking soldier over his shoulder. He was stiff and sore, but the thrill of escape was charging his muscles with new energy. Evidently the rest of the men felt the same way, and they were fighting off the enemy with a zeal that he wouldn't have expected for their condition. Instinctively they surrounded the more helpless civilians in a flanking formation as they moved toward the front gate. Opposition was thin and scattered, all the soldiers were confused by the Sun Guardian's random attacks.

But the danger was still great. The captain froze as he caught sight of a marksman aiming his bow at him, but help came from an unexpected source. A man, dressed in the uniform of a military officer, slashed his sword down on the crossbow, then cut a lethal blow into the man. Raoul was astonished, but no less so at the sight of the girl standing behind the officer, clutching a crossbow of her own.

"Tomoyo! Tomoyo, what are you doing here?" She glanced up at the sound of her name and recognized him, hurrying to cover the distance between them.

"Captain Blacken! Come on, Eriol's cleared an escape path to the front gate with Kero's help. We can - "

She broke off with a squeal as he dropped his sword and clutched her to his chest. He couldn't understand why she was here, amidst all this danger, but he was so relieved to see her that he didn't care. He just hugged her and hugged her. He hadn't had a chance to touch her since the Midwinter Ball.

Finally he let go, and she pulled away with a confused look in her violet eyes.

"Captain?"

"I thought I'd never see you again," he whispered, reaching up to stroke her beautiful black hair. Oh, how he had missed that face. "You look so much like your mother."

Tomoyo felt her insides give a lurch as she realized what he was saying. All around them, people were fighting, battling to the death, but somehow this was more important.

"You mean…" The captain of the guard smiled tenderly.

"Your mother and I loved each other very much, but nothing could happen, not while I was serving with the King's Own. It was the queen who arranged for you to become the princess' aide, so that I could see you regularly. I was going to tell you when I retired, but circumstances have changed the rules, I think."

She was still staring at him in shock when her friend came running to join them.

"Tomoyo, come on, what are you waiting for? We have to get these people out of the palace!"

"Um," she replied. "Um, Captain Eriol Hiiragizawa, meet Captain Raoul Blacken of the King's Own… my father."

In the darkness and confusion of battle, he missed her glazed expression.

"Oh," he said cheerfully and extended his hand. "How do you do. I'd like to marry your daughter, if that's all right."

Raoul's eyebrows went up. "You've left the army?"

"Oh yes. Your daughter convinced me that Gorrell was the true enemy."

"Well, then, you must be all right. But I think we've got bigger worries before we can start planning any weddings." Anxiously he glanced back at the palace, but Tomoyo laid a hand on his arm.

"It'll be all right, Capt – um, Father. Li will save her. Come on. We have to get out of here."

- - - - - - -

Touya eyed Li cynically as he strode ahead of him. He'd never known a peasant could look so determined, so sure of himself. Touya found that attitude both annoying and a challenge. It was too bad he was so out of shape, he would have really enjoyed a sparring session with this man. Maybe one day in the future.

"I don't understand what in the hell you were thinking, letting her come back to Tomoeda. Why didn't you make her escape the kingdom?"

Li ground his teeth a little. "Excuse me, your highness. I thought I made it clear that it wasn't my journey. She made up her mind to get to the capital, I was just along for the ride because my home was gone."

"You spent a week traveling with Sakura and risking your life just because you had no home?"

"Well, no. I guess I felt sorry for her, a little. I mean, she had no idea how to get to the capital, and she was helpless in the countryside."

"Uh-huh. So you stayed by her, and protected her?"

"That's right."

"All the time?"

"All the time," Li affirmed solemnly, and yelped indignantly when Touya yanked on his shirt and pushed him up against the wall. "Hey!"

"So you slept with her?"

"No!"

"So you did leave her alone!"

"No!"

"Well, which is it?"

Touya's eyes were flashing as he glared at Li, and Li found himself gulping. There was something very intimidating about the prince's eyes. He remembered Sakura's comments in the cherry orchard a few days before.

"Well, yes, she did fall asleep beside me." Touya's hand was on his right shoulder, and he gave a merciless squeeze. Li winced. "But nothing happened, I swear it! I didn't do anything, not even when she was bathing - " Touya bristled, and Li hastened to explain. "I mean, there was that one kiss, three actually, but I never let it go any further!"

Touya's expression had grown even darker at the mention of kissing, but he didn't strike Li. Instead he just narrowed his eyes and studied him, then gave an anguished groan and released him.

"Oh gods, I should have known. You're in love with her!"

Li felt caught off-guard. "What? No I'm not."

"You are," Touya replied dejectedly, and set off again in the direction they'd been headed.

"But – but I'm not. I'm a peasant. And I hate royalty!"

His words sounded thin and weak, and it was plain that the prince didn't believe a word he said.

"Sure. Whatever."

Li had been resisting this thought, struggling to keep it out of mind, ever since Sakura had revealed her true feelings for him. He didn't want to admit that he loved her too.

"I mean it," Li pressed, almost begging. "I don't feel anything like that for your sister!"

"Yes you do. I can see it all over you. It's disgusting. And I suppose she's in love with you too."

Li hesitated, and Touya read his expression plainly.

"I was afraid of that. Perfect, just perfect. Years of fighting off the nobles, and I lose her to some scruffy peasant."

Li straightened his shoulders defensively, but Touya wasn't even looking in his direction anymore.

"Where is the justice in this universe?" he muttered. "Of all the stupid ironies…"

"What, don't think I'm good enough? Because I'm a peasant?"

"Nobody," Touya said firmly, "is good enough for her. That includes nobility of all ranks. Unfortunately, I don't have time to deal with you right now. We have to get to the General. After I've taken care of him…" The prince cracked his knuckles enthusiastically. "We'll talk"

"Fine."

"Fine."

- - - - - -

The colonel sighed in an exasperated manner. All efforts to surround the Sun Guardian had failed, and the archers simply weren't quick enough to catch him. It was impossible to predict which direction he would fly next; his movements seemed entirely purposeless. Random, and flashy. Not what he would have expected of such a supposedly formidable fighter…

Random and flashy. Of course.

Blackstock spun on his heels and began striding toward the palace.

"Sir! Sir, where are you going?"

"Continue to try and bring him down, Lieutenant. I'm placing this in your hands now. I have to go deal with a criminal."

He didn't bother to turn around and take in his officer's expression, but pushed open a door and began to run. The whole attack had been nothing more than a distraction, and he had been blind to not see it. No doubt the peasant had already invaded the palace, but he would not get far. Gareth Blackstock would see to it.

- - - - -

After what seemed an age, the door to the bedroom finally opened, and Sakura's breath caught in her throat.

Don't give in to your fear. Don't give in to your fear.

Her hands were shaking again, and she clutched the edge of the stool and stared at the fire in front of her.

Nikolai indicated for the guard to remain just outside the doors, then shut them behind him. At long last, he was alone with the princess. She hadn't turned to face him yet, still staring at the fire, but he could hear her shallow breathing. She looked so little and helpless, perched on that stool, and he had to restrain himself.

It would be unseemly to jump her right off. There was plenty of time, and he had been looking forward to this for so long. No time was ever as good as the first, and he wanted this to last as long as possible.

He unclipped his scabbard and rested his sword against the wall, by the door. And then he began to cross the room in slow, careful steps.

Odd that there's no guard, thought Li, but kicked open the door and brandished his sword. Much to his astonishment, the room was completely empty.

"It's the wrong one," he informed the prince, who shook his head in confusion.

"No, it can't be. I know that this is his room, this is the room that every commander-in-chief stays in - "

He broke off, a look of horror on his young face.

"What?"

"My parent's room. He declared himself king, he must have moved into my own parent's bedroom." Shock gave way to rage, and he struck one of the bedposts with a vicious swipe of the sword. "Son of a bitch is going to violate my sister in the bed where he murdered my parents. I'm going to kill that man, I really am."

Li felt a little sick about what Sakura must be going through, and he swallowed.

"Then come on, we need to get to the royal suites." Touya looked as though he was struggling to contain himself, clenching his fist and breathing heavily. "Your highness. Touya. Come on, we have to go."

After a tense moment, the prince opened his eyes and nodded. They returned to the corridor, but they'd hardly taken five steps when they came to a halt. Colonel Blackstock had rounded the corner and stood facing them, sword drawn and ready to fight.

"I thought I'd find you here," he said icily. "Your highness. Peasant." He turned his gaze on Li, and there was a glitter of bloodlust in his eyes. Both men raised their swords warily. "You've failed, both of you. You'll never get to her now. And it will be my pleasure to dispatch you both."

"You can try," the prince scoffed, but Li laid a hand on his arm.

"Your highness, no. You can't possibly take him on like this."

"But I - "

"Go. He's only trying to delay us, you know it. Go find Sakura. This is what I have to do."

Touya seethed, he hated walking away from a fight. But the peasant was right. Every second that ticked by was another second that Sakura was with Gorrell. She was more important than his pride. But could this kid really take on one of the best swordsmen in the kingdom?

There was a steely determination in those brown eyes, and Touya backed away with a nod.

"All right. Good luck."

Guess I'll have to take the long way around.

He turned and began to jog down the corridor. The colonel watched him go, annoyed, but there wasn't anything that could be done about it. The peasant was glaring at him as he took a few steps forward, and both combatants twirled their swords around once in preparation.

It was time to conclude the battle that had begun in the inn's yard a week earlier. It was time to finish this.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	16. ch15 to fight back

Chapter 15 

'**to fight back'**

A single rosebud was resting in a bowl of water, as per his orders, and Gorrell took it from the little bedside table to twirl in his hand. He enjoyed the light prickle of thorns on his skin, a reminder of the pain and sacrifice that was necessary for true beauty.

She still hadn't moved, even as he walked across the room and came to a stop just behind her. Delicately he traced the rose across her bare shoulders, and she cringed.

She's so scared. She doesn't understand; doesn't grasp the significance. She is just a girl, after all. She doesn't realize how good this is for her, how much I can do for her. And she refuses to see how good this is for the kingdom. With her power, I can create the perfect government. I will have complete control. But she doesn't understand.

I will make her understand.

"You're extremely beautiful, your highness," he murmured. "I suppose many have told you that before."

She did not turn or speak.

"You don't know how much I love you," he continued.

Sakura's heart jumped at those words. As if this twisted and evil man could ever even come near such a concept.

"For so long I've watched you grow up in the palace, blossoming into the lovely woman that you are. You never even looked in my direction, of course, but still I watched you. I knew that you were the one, the only one of the Kinomotos that could help me. I knew you would fit perfectly into my plans. You represent everything that I sought to control when I took the rule of the kingdom into my own hands."

Sakura trembled. When he murdered her parents. In that bed, just a few feet away, he had killed them.

"I know that you're scared. You don't understand how much you really want this. Now that you're back here with me, where you belong, so many good things are waiting for you. I have so much to offer you. I can make you queen, I can give you a life of power, wealth, and comfort."

Of misery and brutality, Sakura thought. He doesn't love me. He sees me as something to be used, something that can help him attain his precious power.

"Everything that I do is for you. I've arranged everything so that we can be together. And yet you ran. You defied me; you rebelled against me. I was left for more than three weeks to wonder where you were, what was happening to you."

He was starting to talk a little faster now, his voice becoming more terse and clipped. She shivered, then jumped when he abruptly threw the rose into the fire. It began to writhe and smoke

"Didn't you understand what that would do me? Don't you know how worried I was?" His frustration boiled over and he gripped her arm with a sudden intensity. She whimpered.

"You're hurting me."

Good, thought Nikolai, and yanked her to her feet so that she stood facing him. She tried to wriggle free but there was no escaping his grasp.

"Why did you run? You upset my plans; you unraveled all of my careful designs! Didn't you know that when I took control of the palace, that you fell under my control? You became my spoils, princess, you became my property. You had no right to run!"

He was past rage, his eyes as hard as stone. Sakura stared at her reflection in them, paralyzed by fright. She wanted to burst into tears, she wanted to scream in terror. But she was too scared to move.

Nikolai was dangerously close to striking her, right there and then, but with an effort he managed to control himself. He was moving too fast, letting his emotions get the better of him. He must remember to keep himself in check.

But I can't leave it alone; it bothers me too much when I think about it. She chose to live in the woods like an animal for three weeks, instead of the royal suites that were her home. She preferred the company of a dirty commoner to me. Why?

He leaned in a little closer, and she tried to pull away. But he didn't touch her, just stared at her with those intense and predaTouya eyes.

"The peasant."

Her eyes widened a little.

"Tell me about him."

- - - - -

His hair was hanging over into his eyes, but Li was used to that and didn't move as he stared at his enemy. Blackstock was doing the same thing, measuring him from head to toe with those steel gray eyes of his. Carefully they drew closer, then began to circle as they prepared for the fight. The colonel was the first to attack. Uttering a sharp battle cry, he lunged forward and slashed at Li. The boy who was born in a rough country cabin blocked him expertly and answered with an attack of his own. Blackstock defended himself successfully and drew back once more.

"You should have taken the chance to kill me when you had it, peasant. You're about to face a particularly horrible death, one that I will take pleasure in executing."

Li didn't answer as he hovered in front of his opponent. The man that he was facing was one of the best swordsmen in the palace, and had years of experience. Li wasn't nearly as old, didn't have so much experience, but he was fit and in the prime of his youth. And Wei had often commented how precocious he was with the sword, handling it with a skill as if he were born to it. Would it be enough to compensate?

This time he attacked, cutting with sharp and quick strikes that forced Blackstock to back up, pushing his offensive. But the colonel would not be so easily defeated, and he battled savagely for control of the fight. Together the two of them were moving down the corridor, into the more open space of the large marble stairwell, where many hallways intersected. The stairs led up to the royal suites, and Blackstock was careful to situate himself between them and the criminal. Over and over the equally matched swordsmen engaged and drew back. The peasant and the noble were throwing everything they had at each other, but still neither had drawn blood.

The metallic clang of swords grew fainter in Touya's ears as he hurried down the long hallway. Time was critical. If he could just push himself fast enough to find the back stairs and run up a few flights, without attracting the notice of any soldiers –

He came to a sudden stop.

What am I doing? I have to get to Sakura…I have to get to the family bedrooms…

He shook his head and started forward again, then stopped. There was something nagging at his subconscious, something crucial. Something that he had seen, coupled with an unpleasant memory.

What did I see? What is so important?

Not at all sure why he was wasting time like this, Touya took a few steps back. He was in one of the more prestigious hallways, where many influential nobles and upper-level military had lived. The walls were lined with lavish portraits, some of his own ancestors. Something about them was tickling the back of his mind, driving him crazy.

I need to run, I need to go find Sakura. I need to get to my parent's bedroom…just like the men that attacked us on that night. It's like they came out of nowhere – we should have had more warning.

He took another step back, the wheels in his mind starting to spin a little faster.

Gorrell wasn't there, in the hallway, when I put Sakura to bed the night of the Midwinter Ball. But he was there when I left the room. Where did he come from?

Like a spark catching flame, it came to him. And then he saw what he'd almost missed when running down the corridor. A tiny sparkle of red magic, nearly invisible, but clear enough to him now that he was looking at it. It was almost hidden in the shadow of the thick wooden frame of a painting, but it was there. Tentatively, the prince pushed lightly on it, but there was no give. Then he gave a really hard shove, and was rewarded by the groan of rusty hinges. The entire painting was moving back from the wall, creating a doorway that led into inky darkness.

Of course. A secret passage. He's had one from his hallway to ours all this time, he must have known about it for years.

Touya hesitated only a moment before stepping in and pushing the wall shut again behind him. The black was perfectly opaque, he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. And there was no telling what might be in there. But it was the quickest way to Sakura. And so he reached out to feel the stone wall, comforted by its guiding presence, and started walking.

- - - - - -

The rose was nothing but acrid ash now. Sakura stared at it as she tried to form the words for what she wanted to say. Nikolai was standing behind her, not quite touching, but far too close for comfort. Brought up in the royal court, she wasn't accustomed to men outside her family being so near. Li was the only other to have been so close.

"He – he was very proud. He would let no one look down on him for being poor. It didn't bother him that he had no money."

She paused, and Nikolai had to prompt her.

"Go on."

She didn't understand why he wanted to know, and she was reluctant to divulge any of her private feelings to him. But as long as they were talking, then they weren't doing anything else. She would seek any delay she could get.

"And he was smart. He never learned to read, but he knew everything about living in the wild. He taught me how to find food. And he - "

She stopped short, and Nikolai cleared his throat impatiently.

"He was strong. He could fight and he knew it, and he wasn't scared of the soldiers." She couldn't help it; a dreamy note crept into her voice. "I don't think it ever occurred to him to betray me for the sake of his own safety. He didn't need to; he could defend himself no matter what. He sought to confront life on his own terms."

Nikolai noticed the change in her tone and frowned. Her trembling had ceased, though she was still tense.

"He may have been born a peasant, but he understood the code of honor that applies to nobles. He could have, but he never hurt anyone that wasn't a threat to him. And he refused to take advantage of me - even though I wanted it."

There. She had said it, and she twisted her hands nervously at his sharp intake of breath behind her. Now what would he do?

Nikolai's thoughts ranged from relief to a stupefied fury. She had invited him? She wanted that lowly commoner to share her bed? How dare she? She belonged to him!

He wanted to take her by her hair and throw her down on the ground for such impropriety, spit on her and call her slut. But his hand was stayed by Salfrek's words. She was still a virgin, still pure. What did it matter whether she asked him or not?

She was probably just confused, that was it. She was uprooted from her home, scared and unsure of herself, and she had been confused.

Sakura heard his heavy breathing slow again, and felt him relax. Perhaps he wasn't angry after all.

"Oh, princess. You poor little girl."

"What?"

His fingers were running lightly through her hair now, and she stiffened.

"You made a mistake, you didn't know what you were doing. I understand. I forgive you. Living in the woods, you forgot your station in life."

Now his hands were tracing lightly down her neck and onto her shoulders. With a sick dismay she felt his fingers slide under the straps of her nightgown.

"No. No, I wasn't confused. I wanted it."

"No you didn't."

"I did," she affirmed, even though her voice was shaking with fear. "I love him. Maybe he didn't think he deserved to touch me, but I know he's more of a noble – more of a _man_ than you are."

The final slur was more than Nikolai could bear, and he pushed her away with an impatient snarl. She squeaked and backed away from him, hugging her arms to her chest.

"How dare you," he gritted. "How dare you defy me and speak with such disrespect. I am your king, your future husband, your lord and master. I will not tolerate a comparison between myself and that lying, filthy commoner! He is nothing!"

"He's not," she denied. "He has more strength, more courage, more integrity than you have ever shown. He's worth more than you could ever hope to be."

His eyes flashed and he raised his fist; she cringed in expectation. But still he managed to contain himself. He didn't have to hit her; there were other ways to inflict pain.

"He's nothing," he repeated. "He left you. He ran when I finally captured you, and he didn't even try to save you. Just like a peasant, he was only thinking of himself."

"He ran because I begged him to," she stated. "I could not watch your men hurt one more person I love. I pleaded for him to go, and he listened. He may just be a commoner, a poor country boy, but I love him with every inch of my being. True love is happiness when your loved one is happy. He is alive and free, therefore I am too."

She hadn't even thought about it so many words, but at the conclusion of her little speech, she felt a lift in spirits. This was a strength that she didn't know she had.

- - - - -

It wasn't as dark anymore. Touya thought his vision must have adjusted, but there was a definite light source growing, somehow. He narrowed his eyes and thought he could see the subtle signs of a light-spell. His pulse quickened.

In the few days since his trial at the whipping post, the prince had been wondering exactly where Gorrell had hidden his pet sorcerer for all these years. It would have to have been very far away, so as to remain secret, yet the General had never been one for taking long or unexplained journeys. His presence in the palace was constant.

But to hide him right here? Right under our noses, inside the palace? That's beyond daring. I can't believe he got away with it.

He shook his head in disbelief, but there could be no doubt that this was not just a secret passage. It had been the home of the old mage for many years, during which he had probably never even seen sunlight.

Touya raised his sword, but no one attacked. There was a curious quiet in this dark passage, almost an expectancy. He was so busy looking for Salfrek that he almost missed the thin beam of red energy that barred his way.

He backed up just in time.

An alarm. A guard-spell. What does he need something like this for? Surely he would have moved out when Gorrell took control. Carefully Touya stepped over the light. Anyone else would have just walked through it and probably received a nasty shock, if not uncontrollable seizures and maybe death. His eyes alone were suited to evading this trap. But why bother guarding an empty chamber? He could see now that there were more of them ahead, growing thicker and closer together.

Touya straightened his shoulders. It was an annoying obstacle, but intriguing as well. What was hidden here, in the bowels of the palace?

Slowly and carefully he began to crawl through the thickening web of magic.

- - - - -

Li never knew he could move so fast. His fighting instincts were taking over again, leading his blade to block every strike, every attack on the colonel's part. Blackstock was coming at him with fancy combinations that he'd never seen before, but still he managed to stay on his feet and defend himself. He could feel sweat running down his brow and the sides of his face, but he didn't dare take the time to shake the droplets away.

Gareth sensed he was gaining the upper hand and pushed harder, throwing more vicious attacks.

"Ready to give it up, boy? You're out of your range and you know it."

Li didn't bother to reply, but kept his eyes on his enemy's face and his blade.

Never allow yourself to be distracted, Wei lectured in his mind. No matter what they say, no matter what verbal attacks they throw, the only thing worth focusing on is the sword.

- - - - - -

"Naturally," Touya said aloud to the empty chamber. "What else deserved so much magical protection, to be hidden so well?"

He'd come to a larger and more open area, better lit than the passage, and crisscrossed with multiple guard-spells. There must have been a hundred, and with good reason. Resting on a dark obsidian altar were his sister's Cards.

If I can just get to them and then get to her, everything will be all right.

But it would take time, and he glanced at the stairs cut into stone on the far side of the chamber. They led steeply right up the wall, and if he had his bearings right, they should come out into the hallway of the royal suites.

Maybe I should forget about them and go on.

He took a step toward the stairs, then stopped.

No. I need to get them. I'm the only one that knows where they are now, and I'm the only one that can get past these spells.

Reluctantly he lay his sword down on the ground. He would never be able to get it through these narrow spaces. For that matter, he wasn't sure how he himself would be able to get close enough to the altar. The floor was alive with magic, and the Cards were surrounded by a thick fence of spells. Unless…

He raised his head to examine the ceiling. It was plunged in shadows, but he could see thick wooden beams across the empty space above him. There was no telling how old this room was and how sturdy they would be, but it was his best shot.

- - - - - -

For a long minute the silence hung heavy in the bedroom, while Sakura watched the General with apprehensive eyes. She didn't know what he'd say or do now. What she had declared was nothing less than a challenge to his authority over her.

"You are mine," he said at last. "I have complete control over you now, you are my prisoner. You will never see him again."

She shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. I don't have to see him; I don't have to be with him. A part of me is with him. As long as he's safe and free, a part of me will always be free too."

"No!" he barked. "I have complete control! Every part of you is mine; there is nothing that I will allow you to hold back."

There was a dangerous glint in his eye and she took a step back.

"I am your prisoner physically, but you can't touch my soul, Nikolai. You can never possess all of me. I won't let you."

Nikolai snapped. This was all _his_ fault, that accursed peasant. How could such a little and helpless girl exhibit such defiance?

In a burst of rage he picked up the stool and threw it against the wall. She flinched but did not scream.

"Stop it! Stop thinking about him! I forbid it!"

Sakura's heart was thumping fast and hard, but she lifted her chin in challenge. He could do whatever he liked, but he was not going to take away her memories of Li. It was all she had left. And in this unique battle of wills, she sensed that she was somehow winning.

"You think you can defy me?" he raged, and covered the distance between them in two long strides. She tried to slide away, but he was too quick for her, and pinned her against the wall by her shoulders. "Stay still, or I will give you a good lashing like I did your brother."

He opened her mouth and forced his tongue in, causing her to gag in revulsion. Before she had a chance to bite down, he pulled away with a perverted delight in his eyes.

"Who is stronger? Who is your master, who controls everything in your life? I can do anything, and I can stop you from thinking about him."

"You can't."

"I can. Remove your gown and get on the bed."

"No."

"Do it!" He slapped his hand against the wall by her head and she flinched again. But there was determination in those green eyes.

I will not give into my fear. I will not let him control me.

- - - - - -

In the end, it was the elder who proved to be the better swordsman. Snaking his blade around Li's, the colonel twisted hard and Li's sword went flying across the room.

"Ha!" Blackstock snapped his sword back to Li, who backed out of the way just in time. But there was no way to reach his sword, nothing that could be done. He was cornered against the banister of the stairwell behind him.

"And now you see," Gareth panted, "the consequences of your actions. You are no hero, no savior, no one important. Just a lowly commoner who tried to be something he wasn't. For such a crime against the natural order of things, you will die."

Li eyed the tip of the sword warily as he placed his hands on the railing behind him. He was breathing heavily too; the day's activities had left him exhausted. But he wasn't ready to give up just yet.

"An honorable warrior would allow me to fetch my sword and continue."

"Not a chance, boy. The code of honor doesn't apply to such insignificant beings as yourself. And now it's time to wipe the earth clean of your abomination."

Blackstock drew his sword back slightly to run him through, and Li reacted. There was no way to get to Blackstock through that sword, so Li reasoned, he would simply go under it.

Throwing himself backwards over the banister, his hands gripped the railing in a sure motion and he slid underneath and across the floor with charged momentum. The colonel never had a chance to scramble out of the way before Li swept him off his feet with a well-aimed kick. When he tried to raise his arm, he found Li kneeling on it, effectively disarming him.

"I am a fighter of the King's Own," the peasant snarled. "And if you think taking my sword away is all it takes to kill me, then you never really understood what you were fighting."

A sharp strike to the throat, and Colonel Gareth Blackstock was no longer breathing. Li watched his eyes roll back in his head, and his head fall back against the floor. Only then did he stand and wipe his brow with his sleeve.

"Now you know."

- - - - - -

Touya was trembling with fatigue, but he couldn't let go now. He was agonizingly close, and to fall would mean almost certain death. During his long confinement, he had been able to do his push-ups every day, but nothing else, and now he was pushing his body to its limits. He'd crawled along the beams until he was close enough to the altar, but there was no way he could reach. He would have to hang by his knees upside down, and he wasn't sure his legs were strong enough. But there was no other way.

And so he swung precariously in mid-air, waiting for his muscles to steady themselves before extending his hand. There was lattice-like network of spells over the stack of Cards, but he thought he might just be able to reach through…

Doing his best not to sweat, he edged his hand through the gap, and felt a thrill upon brushing the surface of the Cards. But he couldn't quite reach.

Come on, just a little closer.

He strained his arm, willing to make it a little longer, but it was no good. His sister could call them to her hand if she was in the same room with them, but his powers weren't nearly so developed.

"I need a little help here," he murmured. "If you can hear me…just a little - "

There was a breath of cold air on his face, and then the Cards levitated off the surface. He snatched them gratefully.

"Thank you, Mother. I'm going to go find Sakura now. Wish me luck."

- - - - - -

This feels rather familiar, thought Li, despairingly. There's just too many of them. And I'm already so tired from all the rest of the fighting that I've done today.

His breath was coming in ragged gasps but he continued to push himself up the stairs. Behind him was the entire troop that had been left behind to guard the royal hallway. Upon surprising each other, he had no choice but to continue to run up the stairs. The royal suites had been off limits when he was living here in the palace, but he reasoned it couldn't be too far to the roof. No one could live over their majesties.

Sure enough, he slammed through a door and found himself on the top of the building. A refreshing spring breeze lifted the damp hair off his face and the stars twinkled cheerfully at him, totally unconcerned with all the violence in the palace that night.

The narrow stairwell only allowed a few men up at once, and in this favored position Li fought back the crowd that had tailed him. After a few bodies had been thrown back, the soldiers weren't nearly so inclined to come up and confront him. Instead they waited, just beyond the curve of the stairwell, for him to come back down.

It was the logical thing to do. There was no way to get off the roof, other than this exit. Li paced a little in frustration. If only Kero were here. But he could see no sign of the beast anywhere; he must have finally retreated. Too much time had passed; Li needed to find Sakura.

Once before, I left her because there were too many. I will not, I absolutely will not, do it again. Think, Li. You're smart. You can figure out how to solve this.

Nerving himself, Li walked to the edge of the roof and looked down over the courtyard. This must be the same courtyard, he thought, the one that she escaped through with Kero. Those windows below me, those must be hers or her brothers. And over here are the windows to the king's rooms. If only I could fly. I could swoop down there through the master bedrooms and –

He paused, standing right over the balcony. The walls were too smooth to scale, but hanging from the roof was the national banner of the kingdom. It was long, tapering down to the top of the royal windows, and it shifted slightly with the breeze.

Of course. Just like I did with the colonel. If I can't get to her through the swords, then I'll just go around.

His feet were starting to tingle a little at the thought of it, but this was no time to worry about heights. He slashed at the ropes that secured the banner on the left side and gripped the tough material, wrapping it around his hand.

Here I go.

Sakura fought to keep back the scream as he bit into her neck again. She struggled, but he was so much stronger than she was, and he had her pinned to the wall with his body.

Nikolai savored the taste of her skin as he pulled away from her neck, then traced his tongue up to her ear and sucked on the lobe. Her pitiful resistance was only adding fuel to his lust, but she still had not done what he had asked.

"Do it. You know you have no choice. Go to the bed."

"I won't!"

"You must. You are my bride, princess, my lover. I am ordering you to go to the bed!"

There was still a stubborn denial in her eyes, and he ground his teeth. He could pick her up and carry her there quite easily, he could take her any time he wished. But that wasn't what he craved. He wanted to see her cower; he wanted to see her force herself to submit to him. Like when he forced her to walk away from her brother, without even laying a hand on her.

That would demonstrate his true power over her. She would understand then that there was no part of her that she could keep from him. He would not be denied. He would possess all of her.

"Insolent bitch," he swore. "You want me to move to the next step?"

He didn't wait for an answer but tore at the neckline of her nightgown. She shrieked and tried to bolt, but he caught her arm and threw her down on the floor.

"You don't want to go to the bed, that's fine. I can do you right here on the floor." She tried to crawl away but his foot was on the skirt of her gown, preventing her from moving. Her terror was driving him to new heights of stimulation, and he smiled as he prepared to remove his tunic. He'd never dreamed it could be this good.

There was a rush of exhilaration as Li threw himself into empty space, and he had to stop himself from shouting to the stars.

Look at me! I can do this; I can overcome anything!

He braced his feet against the wall and pushed off again, repelling down the side of the palace walls as his weight ripped the banner down the middle. He was going faster and faster as the material split lengthwise, he was barely able to maintain control as he gained momentum.

I'm not going to be able to stop before I hit the floor of the balcony, he realized, but there was nothing that could be done about that now. Pushing off against the bricks one final time, he tucked his body and pushed his legs over his face, executing a backwards roll out in space. He was hurtling downward much faster now, and for a moment he thought he was sure to slam into the balcony. But he had judged the distance correctly, and his boots smashed through the beautiful stained-glass windows of the royal suite. He was going so fast that he had to roll across the floor before he could stop, but he was on his feet and holding out his sword before anybody in the room had a chance to move.

Sakura was on the floor, her eyes marbled in shock as she stared at him. Perhaps she was hallucinating, conjuring a vision of the one man she wanted to see more than anything. But no. He was really there, panting hard but gripping his sword in preparation for battle. He had come to save her.

Gorrell had barely had time to catch up with events and figure out who this stranger was before he realized that Sakura was struggling to reach him.

"Oh no, you don't." He knelt and grabbed the frantic girl by her hair and dragged her back towards the wall, away from the invader. "You don't have permission to go anywhere near him, I thought I had made that clear."

"Let her go," the peasant said in a low voice. He took a step closer, but stopped when Gorrell found his sword where he had left it and braced it against Sakura's throat. She had been squirming and fighting, but with the feel of cold metal on her neck, she froze.

Li looked uncertainly from her to Gorrell.

"Put the sword down, General. It's over."

"Don't you tell me what to do," the older man threatened, incensed. "How dare you. I take orders from no one anymore! I am your king!"

"I try not to pay attention to authority." His eyes sought Sakura once more; she was actually smiling through her tears, happiness to see him overcoming even her immediate terror. As disheveled as she was, she looked more beautiful than he remembered. He couldn't help it, his mouth turned up into a tiny smile. Nikolai saw the look in his eyes and felt a fresh burst of anger.

"Stop it!" he thundered. "Stop looking at her! She's my property, mine alone!"

Gorrell took a step backward, toward the door. He could feel the rapid heartbeat of his prisoner, wrapped in his arms, how scared and desperate she was. She wanted to escape, and he would not allow that to happen. Not after all that he had been through to get her.

Li watched the General drag her toward the door, then hesitantly took another step.

"Don't come any closer!" He tightened his grip on his sword and glared at Li.

"Let her go, General. You're not going to hurt her; I know you don't want her dead."

"Uppity peasant," Gorrell spat. "Do not presume what I do or do not want. The princess is mine, I have absolute power over her. I would rather control her death than let a filthy commoner like yourself put your hands all over her."

Li bit his lip; the General was starting to look unstable. He might actually be crazy enough to hurt her. Sakura felt her chance slipping away as the General dragged her further back, further away from Li.

"No," she choked. "Please, Li - "

"Do not speak to him! He is nothing, do you understand me? You will speak only to me. I am your lord and master, and you _will_ be my queen."

Sakura saw Li stiffen slightly.

"His presence confuses you, I can see that. You don't understand how he threatens us, you don't see how he is a danger to the kingdom. He's a commoner that carries a sword and defies his king; he's a criminal. He's hardly more than an animal, a wolf that attacks my sheep!"

Li seethed and opened his mouth to reply, but Sakura beat him to it.

"I don't care where he's from or what his place is in life. I love him. He is a wolf. And I'd rather be his bitch than your queen."

Wow, thought Li. The General's face had gone black with fury. It was only with a supreme effort that Nikolai managed to control himself.

"After he is dead," he said in a low, terse tone, "I will teach you a thousand shades of pain, will make you suffer like you never dreamed you could suffer. Not a day will go by in your life that you don't regret those words." She flinched at his tone, but she would not recant. She would not allow him to break her spirit.

"I hope you're not counting on your colonel to dispatch me," Li spoke up. "We already spoke tonight. He won't be coming to your aid anymore."

There was a fleeting expression of panic on Gorrell's face before it hardened again.

"You will never escape this palace. There are too many of my men. It was foolish and stupid of you to try and come here."

"Perhaps," Li acknowledged. "But Sakura told me something earlier this evening, and I never got a chance to reply. I wanted to tell her that I loved her too."

Sakura's sudden intake of breath was the last straw, and Nikolai yanked her right off her feet and felt for the doorknob behind him. He would not listen to another word of this tripe.

"Enough!" he roared. "It's perversion, a peasant and a princess together! Only I may touch her, only I may speak to her!"

It didn't matter if Gareth was dead, he would call on the men outside his door. A crowd of them could trap this commoner in this room, kill him if they needed to.

"Nothing will come between me and my bride!"

"Nothing except me," said someone softly into his ear, and Gorrell dropped his sword at the sudden burst of pain in his ribs. It landed with a thump on the rich carpet, and Sakura followed it a second later. The General's face was twisted with pain, all the color draining from his face. Touya had not plunged the guard's knife in enough to be immediately fatal; he had only wanted to hurt and incapacitate. He yanked it out and dropped it on the floor, then grabbed the man by his neck and started to drag him across the room.

"Remember me, Nikolai? The one that you strapped to a post and whipped until I almost passed out?" Vengeance was lending him strength, and he tore the silk drapes off the posts of the lavish bed and wrapped them efficiently around his tormentor, pinning the man's arms to his chest. "Remember what I promised to you that day?"

Sakura had never seen her brother look so dangerous. She was going into shock, after her ordeal, and she trembled on the carpet as she stared glassily at the scene unfolding before her. Touya didn't see her, he was so focused on his enemy. It was Li that dropped his sword and ran to her side, putting his arms around her and hugging her close.

"Shh…Sakura, it's okay. It's done, he's defeated. He can't hurt you anymore." He took her shaking hands in his, then raised them to plant a light kiss on each palm. Had it been only yesterday that she had done that for him? A lifetime had passed since then. "Sakura, can you hear me? It's all right. I'm here."

"You came back," she whispered.

"That's right. I told you I would never turn around and leave you in danger, didn't I?"

She brushed her hand over his cheek, as if she couldn't quite believe he was tangible, and a hint of smile showed in her eyes.

"I love you."

"I know. I love you too." He leant over and brushed his lips over hers. He was unsure; perhaps she had been through too much tonight to consider a kiss. But no. She pushed up to meet him, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving herself totally to him.

Gorrell had just enough to time to see that and utter an anguished cry before Touya dragged him out onto the balcony and tossed him over the side. He couldn't ever remember being so tired, but he planted his feet on the cloth and gripped it securely, then leaned over the railing to glare at Gorrell as he dangled helplessly.

"Don't!" Nikolai cried, beginning to panic. The prince was hardly recognizable, his features contorted by a lust for revenge. "You can't do this!"

"But I want to," the prince replied evenly. "I want you to beg. I want you to cry. I want you to suffer every bit as much as you made my parents and Yukito suffer! And me! And my sister!" He let the drapes slip just a little, and was rewarded by a startled yelp.

"Scared yet, Nikolai? It's not fun being tied up and helpless, is it? Don't think I haven't been dreaming about this moment for the past three weeks. I haven't had much to do besides think, really, so I know exactly how I want this to happen. I know exactly how I want you to die."

"Touya, no." The prince was interrupted from his speech by Sakura placing a hand over his.

"What?"

"Wait. You can't do this."

"Excuse me?"

"You can't just kill him, Touya, there are laws that have to be followed. You know how Father felt about these things."

"Our father is dead, Sakura! And it's his fault! He has to pay!"

"I know. He will. But I came back to Tomoeda because I believe that the written law Father practiced was better than Gorrell's tyranny. I want to hold myself to that."

"Listen to her, Touya!"

"Quiet," the prince snapped. "You don't get a vote."

He was utterly stupefied, he couldn't believe Sakura was talking like this. She saw him looking at the torn neckline of her nightgown and held it closed with one hand.

"You're actually saying this? Even after what he did to you? Have you seen the scars on my back?" He turned as if to show, and the drapes slipped even more. Nikolai screamed, consciously aware of the empty space beneath his feet. He was beginning to feel woozy from blood loss, and the pain in his lower back was like a burning brand.

"I know what he did to you, Touya, I healed the wounds. Remember?" The hard look in her brother's eyes softened a little as he looked at her. His little sister… she looked so pure and sweet and delicate when she spoke like this. "You can't kill him, Touya, not like this. You have to follow the law."

"I'm the prince, Sakura, the heir to the throne. I am the law!"

She recoiled as if he'd struck her, then looked away, at the stars.

"You sound just like him when you say that," she murmured.

Bloody hell, thought Touya furiously. Why did she have to go and say that?

He could see the peasant just inside the doorway to the bedroom, watching them, waiting to see what would happen, and wondered what he thought of it all. He was beaten already, he knew it, his sister had done her magic with those eyes of hers. Touya could never refuse her anything when she used her eyes, and he knew, he just knew, that he could not kill Nikolai Gorrell that night.

"Damn," he sighed. "Fine. But I'm not pulling him up. Li can do it."

Sakura's eyes shone with gratitude.

"Thank you, Touya. You know that this is the right thing."

He muttered something unintelligible, and Li started forward to take the drapes into his hands. Touya was looking in his direction when he saw the sudden red glow on the floor of the bedroom.

"Look out!" he yelled in warning, too late. There was a horrendous explosion in the room, and Li was thrown violently against the railing of the balcony along with Sakura. But Touya, already weak from all the activity that night and leaning over the edge, lost his balance and tumbled right over the side. It was only chance that he managed to grab the marble rail in time, hanging precariously by one hand. Gorrell was not nearly as lucky. Without Touya hanging onto the drapes, gravity found him at last and he plummeted to the courtyard below.

The prince cringed a little as his agonized scream was cut short by a dull thud, but only a little. At long last the traitor was dead, but now they had bigger things to worry about.

"Where are they?" railed the thin old man standing before her. His black eyes flashed with maniacal rage, and even Sakura could see the red haze around him, his anger was so great. "Someone has taken them! Where are they?"

She was bruised and aching, and too scared to pull herself into a standing position even if she'd had the strength. Salfrek looked murderous, and his glare was boring into her.

"Pl-please," she stuttered. "Be calm. Nikolai Gorrell is dead; it's all over."

"Foolish girl!" She shrieked as he shot a bolt of red lightning at her, scorching the marble just by her right shoulder. "You think it matters to me whether he lives or dies? He was nothing! An inconsequential soldier who fit conveniently into my plans. An easy way for my retribution to your father."

She dared to take a quick glance to her side; Li was slumped over on the floor of the balcony, stunned but not dead. She could see him breathing, though barely.

"I had but one goal. Mastery over the Cards, the last step necessary to become the greatest sorcerer living! And now they are gone! Where are they?" Again he threw another bolt of energy at her, nearly singing her hair. She ducked and cowered, trying to melt into the stone behind her. She was helpless like this, as tired as she was, she had no chance of defending herself against the mage.

"Sakura," her brother whispered. He was just barely managing to hang onto the railing behind her, but he was pulling something out of his belt, pushing it through the posts. "Fight him. You don't have a choice."

It was the deck, her deck of Cards. Never in her life had she ever used them to attack another person, but Touya was right. There were times when a person had to fight back.

Salfrek raised his arms again to deal a lethal blow, but she was too quick for him.

"Shield Card!" An orb of light yellow surrounded the young sorceress, and she rose to her feet, slowly and deliberately. She was breathing heavily, but there was a determined look in her eye.

"I have had enough," she said impatiently. "Enough people threatening me today, and threatening the people that I love. I don't know who you are or why you choose to use magic the way that you do, but I don't care. It ends tonight."

"You think you can stand up to my powers, little girl?"

"I know I can."

He pulled back his lips and snarled, then attacked again. The shield wavered a little, but it held, and she did not flinch. The magical lightning hitting the barrier created an unpleasant sizzle, and Li stirred slightly at the sound. His head hurt terribly, and automatically he tried to grip his sword, only to realize that it wasn't in his hand.

What had happened?

The black faded from his vision and he saw Touya on the far side of the balcony, clambering up and over the railing, clearly exhausted. The prince was taking great pains to remain inconspicuous, and with good reason. It wasn't a good idea for people of limited powers to get caught in the middle of a real magical fight.

"I will possess those Cards," Salfrek threatened. "I will let nothing stand in my way!"

"They belong to me," Sakura answered. "And I'm not giving them up!"

He was more powerful than she realized, and he threw extra force into his bolts. The shield was starting to fade.

Li blinked and tried to clear his vision as he focused on Sakura, standing a few feet away. She looked determined and sure of herself.

"Fiery Card!"

There was a glow of white and pink in her hand, and then, to his astonishment, Sakura burst into flame.

No, he realized, his mind still returning to reality. She hadn't burst into flame. But she was surrounded by it, cloaked in it like a human torch. She threw her arms out wide and huge wings of fire spread out, then shot forward to engulf Salfrek in the fire.

Li was still dizzy and disoriented, and he tried to push himself up to a sitting position. He was thinking about how he had shown Sakura how to start a fire, how proud she had been to be able to draw a spark from the flintstone. How could anybody be so excited about something like that, when they could do this? He hadn't realized how much power she actually had.

Salfrek held his palms forward and deflected the flames, though it was a debilitating attack. He stumbled a little before the onslaught but stood his ground.

"You'll pay for that," he rasped, and clapped his hands together. With a sharp crack, she felt the floor beneath her tremble, then disintegrate into a hundred chunks of rock. The entire balcony was breaking up.

"Run!" she screamed, and Touya managed to grab hold of the windowsill just in time. There were shards of broken glass still, from where Li had crashed through it earlier, and he gritted his teeth in pain. But there was nowhere else to go.

Li wasn't nearly so lucky. Still groggy from the blow to his head, he hardly had a chance to move before he realized that he was falling, hurtling downward with the rest of the balcony. He almost yelled out as his acrophobia consumed him in a rush, but a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist.

Huh?

He was hanging in midair, and when he looked up he was shocked into full alertness. Sakura was holding his wrist, white feathery wings sprouting from her back and flapping slowly as she struggled to pull him up to her. After a moment of stunned disbelief, he pulled himself up and wrapped his arms around her neck gratefully.

"You can fly?" he whispered. She nodded matter-of-factly.

"Sure. Didn't I tell you that?"

"No!"

"Oh." She raised her arm to reactivate her shield as Salfrek shot another bolt of lightning at her. "Now you've gone too far," she informed her attacker in an icy tone. "You helped a man betray and murder my parents, you helped him search for me and drag me back to the palace, you stole my Cards from me. But now you've almost killed Li. And I will not tolerate that."

The old man sneered at her.

"Surely you've realized by now that I can see your magical attacks coming for me. I'm strong enough to withstand anything you throw at me, no matter how strong you are. And your strength is ebbing. I am fresh; you are not. You don't stand a chance."

It was true, she was exhausted after everything else that had happened that day. And using Shield and Fly at the same time was using up a lot of energy. Not to mention supporting Li's weight –

Li. Of course.

"I need to borrow something of yours," she murmured. "All right?"

"What?" She didn't bother to answer as another of the Cards leapt into her hand.

"Move Card!"

It was true, he could see the magic of the Cards coming at him. But that didn't mean that he could see the objects affected by her magic. He was totally focused on her, concentrating on the flying girl to such an extent that he never saw Li's forbidden sword twitch on the bedroom floor, then lift off at one end. It was heavier than anything she'd ever tried to move previously, and the strength of the Card was dependent on her own energy. The shield faded completely as she channeled all her strength into the Move Card.

Come on, I know I can do this…

Salfrek was smiling now as he raised his hands for a final and lethal blow. She couldn't fail now; Li would die too. That thought hardened her resolve, and she clutched at Li tightly, drawing upon a last reserve.

Move, damn it!

Her sharp mental command gave it the final impetus, and Li's sword jerked upwards and shot through the air. It ran through the sorcerer's body before the old man was even aware of the danger, and he gave a choking gasp of death.

Red electricity sizzled on his fingertips, but it was too late. Even powerful magicians had to die, and he fell to his knees, then on his side as the life force left him. He would never be the greatest sorcerer living.

The sixteen year-old girl that had defeated him managed, though barely, to hover back to the gaping hole in the side of the palace and land safely on the bedroom carpet.

"Oh Li," she panted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I – I was so scared…"

"How could you be?" Tenderly he stroked back her damp and sweat-streaked hair. She looked so tired and scared, but more awesome and powerful in his eyes than he had ever thought possible. Even with the bite marks on her neck and the torn neckline, the white satin gown and the wings made her look like an angel. She was an angel. She was like divinity itself here on earth. Then the wings disappeared, and she dropped to her knees.

"Sakura!" The prince crawled through the open window, ignoring his bleeding hands, and hurried to pick her up. "Sakura, are you all right?"

She murmured something and her eyes began to close. Li had seen that before, the night that she tried to heal her brother's wounds. He knew she would be all right with a little rest. The prince carried her to his parent's bed and laid her out on the blankets as Li pulled his sword out of Salfrek's body.

Odd that it killed someone tonight without my help, and I killed someone without its help. I guess I still have some work to do before I become the best swordsman in the land.

He glanced back at the bed. Touya was tipping a small bowl of water that had been by the bed between her lips, and pressing his dampened sleeve to her forehead.

It's all right, Li thought wearily. The danger is over. She'll be just fine.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	17. ch16 the decision

**Chapter 16**

'**the decision'**

For a long moment, there was no sound. Only a profound and shocked silence, while Sakura stared at Li in utter disbelief.

"What?" she finally said.

"It's time for me to go," he said again, in a low voice. "It's been two days. You don't need me anymore. I have to go home."

The look on her face was every bit as painful to see as he feared it would be. He could not look her in the eyes and fixed his gaze on the table instead. The only other person in the study was Touya, and he watched the other two with bated breath.

- - - - - -

It had been a hectic couple of days. Confused and upset by the attacks of the Sun Guardian and the King's Own, the soldiers had been demoralized. It didn't take long for the news to spread that the bodies of both Blackstock and Gorrell had been found, and the men weren't sure who to turn to for leadership. Eventually they all just retired to their quarters and waited for orders - or punishment. With Eriol's help, Touya isolated those officers who had actively helped plan the overthrow and arrested them to await trial. The lower-ranked soldiers were pardoned and dispersed over the countryside to carry news of the change in leadership to the remote corners of Hapeynia. The atmosphere of the palace was still tense, but the remaining King's Own and Kero were split between the royal children and practicing extra vigilance. They were determined that nothing would ever hurt one of the Kinomotos again.

One of those bodyguards was Li, dressed in the dark green and black uniform of the guard and watching over Sakura constantly. She had hardly let him out of her sight, insisting even that they sleep together. Touya had fussed a little, but she had quelled him with one look. And so for two nights she fell asleep in his arms, the only place she felt safe, on the floor of her bedroom with the balcony doors open. It was too soon, she explained, to try and sleep in a bed again; it felt too comfortable. Li didn't care. It was enough for him to stay awake at nights and watch her face in the moonlight as she dreamt peacefully. He wanted to memorize that face, burn it into his mind so that he could carry the image of her forever in his heart. Because he was leaving.

"Why?" she whispered. "Why would you – why would you do this to me?" She rose from the chair and took a hesitant step toward him. Li had to swallow.

"I don't want to hurt you, Sakura, you know that. But I can't stay here. It can't go on like this."

"You have to stay," she pleaded. "Li, I need you. I can't do this without you."

"You can. You and your brother are doing an amazing job of retaking the kingdom under your control; I told you that you were strong. You were born for this. And I can't help you anymore. This isn't my strength."

She was shaking her head as he spoke.

"Li, you have to be here. You're the only one I feel safe with. I need you to protect me."

"You have Kero, and the rest of the King's Own. You'll be fine."

"Fine?" she repeated, her voice cracking. "I don't want to be 'fine'. I want to be with you. I love you!"

"Sakura," he murmured. She was close enough to reach out and touch, and he brushed a hand over her cheek. "I love you more than anything, and this is breaking my heart. But I can't stay here. I'm a peasant, and you're trying to put the pieces of your kingdom back together. You can't be seen with me; I'm a liability. And I refuse to get in the way of the responsibilities in your life."

She was starting to cry now, and a fat tear ran down her cheek and onto his fingers. He pulled his hand away and tasted it. He had known all along, that this was how it would end. He had resisted, but it had happened anyway. And now he was paying the price. This was more bittersweet than anything he could have predicted.

"Stay anyway," she sobbed. "Be my bodyguard, become the new instructor for the King's Own classes, do anything. You said yourself that the palace felt more like home than your own cabin. It's been burned, Li, there's nothing left for you back there. This is where you're needed. This is where you're important. Please… this is where I need you."

Li had to clench his fists as he dredged up every bit of willpower and self-control that he possessed.

"I can't," he choked. "I can't live like that, Sakura, and I know you can't either. I can't see you everyday without wanting to be with you. Just being in the same room with you…"

Unconsciously he took a step closer, inhaling deeply. He wanted to remember her scent too, remember the feel of her in his presence. Her merely standing before him was intoxicating.

"You know we'll never be strong enough to stay apart. This is the way it has to be." He took one last look and then turned and lay his hand on the doorknob.

"No!" she cried. Panicking, she slapped the Lock Card down on the wooden desk. Li pushed at the knob, but it wouldn't give. He did not turn around, but addressed her in a low voice.

"You can't, Sakura. You can't keep me here the way the General tried to keep you. That's not how it works."

"I know," she sobbed, but did not open the doors. Instead she started to cry harder. "But I also know that I love you, and I can't go on without you. I've lost too much already. You have to be in my life, and I don't care what price needs to be paid. If I have to leave the palace and live with you in your cabin, then that is what I will do. Just please don't turn around and leave me again."

Li's eyes widened and he turned around at her unexpected offer. But his reaction was nothing compared to Touya's.

"What?" he yelped, speaking up for the first time. "Sakura, no! I will absolutely not let you do that!" He jumped out of his chair and vaulted over the desk to stand by her.

"You know you can't keep me here, Touya. You'd never have a chance."

Her calm deliberation frightened her brother more than her frantic crying. Once before, he had been sure that he would never see his sister again. If she left now, of her own volition, she might never come back.

"Sakura, no," he whispered. "You can't leave. You can't leave me to do this all on my own. You're the only family I have left."

She sniffled and wiped away her tears, noting the fear in his eyes. She didn't want to leave him either. He was her older brother, and she loved him.

"I'm sorry, Touya. But if I have to then I will."

Miserable peasant, Touya thought. I hate you. But he didn't say anything aloud, just wrapped his sister in a tender embrace and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"What's it going to be, kid?"

The prince gave Li a sullen glare, but the younger man didn't see it, too busy watching Sakura cry in her brother's arms. He couldn't believe what she was ready to give up, just to be with him.

"True love," Tomoyo had said to him the evening before, "is knowing happiness when your loved one knows happiness. Think about it hard, Li, before you come to any decision. I know you'll make the right choice."

He was having trouble holding back tears too, now, as he watched his precious Sakura cry. He loved her more than life itself. He didn't want to her to cry.

"I've made a lot of bad decisions in my life," he said softly. She opened her eyes and looked at him, though she didn't move. "Deciding to help you hide in that tree may have been one of them. It's opened up kinds of pain I didn't even know existed."

She was silent, trembling.

"But the worst thing I ever did was to abandon my mother. I closed my eyes to her suffering and walked away. It's in the past; I can't do anything about it anymore. But you can believe, Sakura, that I won't make the same mistake again."

There was a flicker of hope in her watering green eyes.

"I don't care what happens. I don't care how hard it is. I'm not leaving your side."

With a final sob she broke away from her brother's hold and flew into his arms, laughing and crying with relief. Li felt ready to collapse, he hadn't realized how much he was dreading his departure.

Think of what I almost walked out on. Think of what I almost lost forever.

He clutched at her a little harder, but he didn't really feel secure until his mouth had found hers and they were lost in the kiss.

This was his princess. And nothing would ever come between them again.

Not even the kingdom.

THE END 

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	18. epilogue

'**epilogue'**

The sun was gone, and in its place the stars emerged, one by one throwing their brilliant light down on the city of Tomoeda. No longer was it the quiet and subdued place it had been in the evenings of Gorrell's short rule. Light and laughter spilled out from public houses. Businessmen no longer feared plundering soldiers, and dared to keep their dining rooms open longer into the night. The economy was growing again, the people regaining their confidence.

There were more of them out that night than Touya had seen all summer, and he smiled as he guided his horse down the Great Road, searching the temples with his eyes. Nobody paid attention to him, which was fine. He was riding his favorite mare bareback, with none of the expensive tack that was available in the royal stables. His clothes were clean but cheap, the rough cotton material worn by laborers. And the growing darkness concealed his face. Nobody gave a second look to their king as he signaled his horse to stop and then slid off her back, tying her halter to the post before the temple and patting her soothingly, as much for his comfort as hers.

Captain Blacken was probably tearing his hair out right now, but there wasn't anything to be done about it. Touya needed to do this without an audience. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the heavy oak door and entered the temple.

It looked empty; the only movement was the flickering flames on the many candles set out. But he knew that she was here. He could feel it. Tapping his hand restlessly on the hilt of his knife, he paced up the center aisle, looking around at all the different idols. When he returned his attention to the altar, she was standing by the railing, watching him calmly. He refused to show his surprise.

"Hello."

"Your majesty." She gave a graceful curtsy, which seemed out of place. This was her domain, she ruled here. Already he felt like an intruder, but he stepped forward anyway.

"I've come to see how you were. If you were all right."

"Did you?" She knew he was talking nonsense, and it showed in her eyes. He grunted at his own stupidity and continued to walk toward the front of the temple. She turned her attention to lighting the candles by the idols behind her, turning as if to avoid his eyes, though the movement was deliberate and calm. "I'm touched by your concern, your majesty."

"Call me Touya."

"As you wish."

"I should have come sooner. But it's been a very trying summer, you know. It's not easy to reclaim a kingdom after an internal revolt."

"I can imagine." She didn't seem hurt, or bothered, or upset that he had been gone. But she didn't seem to very happy that he had finally come, either. Would he ever figure out this woman? "That is not the only reason you came," she stated, breaking into his thoughts.

He hesitated, then nodded.

"I came for your help. I want to ask you a favor."

She positioned a candle in its holder and met his gaze. He couldn't tell if she already knew or not. She was waiting for him to ask. Rather than face her, he turned away and sat on the polished wooden railing, then pulled his cotton tunic over his head.

"I hate them. I want them gone. Will you do it?"

He stared fiercely at the marble floor in front of him, gripping his shirt in one hand. It was so quiet behind him; she could have disappeared for all he knew. But then he felt a light touch on his back, and he sucked his breath in.

"The scars run deep."

"Yes. Sakura healed the wounds shut the day it happened, but the scars haven't gone away. It doesn't even seem like they faded very much these past few months."

"Why come to me? Your sister is far more powerful."

"I know, but I do have my pride. I'm her older brother. I don't want her to think about the day that I was tied to a post and whipped like an animal." His throat tightened a little as he spoke, and he clenched his fists tighter.

"You don't want to think about it either."

"Of course not. Why would I want to be reminded of that humiliation every time I take off my shirt? I can't see them, but I'm always conscious of them. He's gone, dead, but he left me permanently marked. They're scars of defeat and degradation."

"They are badges of honor," she murmured. "Scars of victory and perseverance. Like a clay bowl scorched by the flames of an artisan, you were tested and not found wanting. You are stronger now for it."

Her fingers were running up his back now, and he slumped a little in defeat. He should have known she would say something like that.

"You're not going to heal them, are you?"

"I would be remiss in my duties if I did. The scars of your lashing are the result of a power-mad general and his frightening government. Someone has to remember his brutality, what happens when someone has too much power. Who better than the king to carry the reminder?"

He sighed wistfully, then became conscious of how her hand had stopped to rest on his shoulder. Without thinking, he reached across and placed his hand over hers.

The temple was silent for a few seconds. Then he broke it.

"My parents are gone. There's no one to tell me who to love or what is appropriate anymore."

"No one except an entire kingdom."

She slid her hand out from under his and he felt her presence fade a little. Hastily he stood up and turned around. She was already beside the altar, rubbing it absently with the sleeve of her robe, as if it weren't already spotlessly clean.

"Li is posing as a noble again, training the students of the King's Own. They plan to marry next spring."

"It is different."

She was right about that; she always was. Sakura was princess; considerably high up on the status scale, but she would never be queen. She would never be the ruler of Hapeynia unless something happened to him while he still had no heir. And while the nobility of the kingdom would certainly be shocked if they knew Li's true origins, for the princess to marry a mysterious and reclusive noble was at least acceptable. A woman that he married and made queen would be put to much more scrutiny.

"It's not as if you're a peasant."

"I am not nobility."

He tried to swallow his frustration as he stepped closer. She moved around to the other side of the altar, casually, as if she'd been thinking about doing it anyway.

"Li's managing all right. If you really wanted to, if you really tried, you could do it." He tried to keep the accusing tone out of his voice. He may be the king, and she not even nobility, but it had been the same ever since they first met. Somehow, in some strange way, she was always the superior.

"There's no noblewoman that could be a better queen than you could. Help me. Sakura's been a wonderful partner, she's helped reestablish the city orphanage, and she and Tomoyo took on the job of compensating all those financially hurt when Gorrell ruled. Imagine if the three of us were working together; imagine what we could do. You could rule by my side."

"Perhaps I don't want to."

"You can't tell me that." He leaned across slightly, locked into her eyes. "I won't believe that. You can't look me in the eye, knowing what we once had… how amazing it was…" He was much closer, his lips almost on hers when she abruptly turned away.

"It is not the same," she said in a low voice. He had to strain his ears, but he thought he could just barely detect a crack in her velvet tone. He had to be close.

"What's not the same? I'm older, you're older, but the way I feel hasn't changed. You know it's true."

"Yes, I know it's true." He circled around the altar, and this time she did not move away. Placing a hand on either side of her and standing so near, they were closer face-to-face than they had been in a long time. She smelled of light incense and sandalwood, like she always had. Nothing had changed. "I know you still feel the same for me, your majesty."

"Touya."

"But I am not first in your affections."

He shook his head slightly. "There's never been anyone else."

"It's not a person."

He frowned quizzically, and she sighed. "Tell me, how did the princess convince him to stay? He knew how difficult it would be."

"She offered to go with him, she was ready to give up the palace - " He stopped short. "What, that's what you want me to do? Give up my responsibilities? Give up being king?"

"Would you?"

"It's different for my sister. She's not the ruler, she never will be. I need her, but Hapeynia doesn't. If I abdicated, the loss of a strong central ruler could mean civil war. The whole kingdom could break up." He felt odd, trying to rationalize himself to this woman. The weight of his duties lay heavily on his shoulders, almost tangible to his acute senses. "I could never walk away. Don't you see that?"

"I do."

"Then come with me. Come to the palace."

"I can't. I never was and never will be first in your affections, Touya. Your obligations to the people of the kingdom will always come first in your heart. You know it, I know it. I knew a long time ago that we must take separate paths, it's why I left the palace."

He was silent, watching her with anguished eyes. There was a struggle in them, between what he wanted to believe and what he knew was true.

She laid a hand on his cool cheek.

"I will never know another like you. But I know that it's over. There is no sense in prolonging what is doomed. Go back to your palace, Touya. Be the strong and wise leader that your father was; bring justice and peace to all corners of your kingdom. I know it is your only true desire."

Maybe, thought Touya miserably. But that doesn't mean my heart isn't breaking. A true leader has less freedom than the lowliest servant in the land.

It was something Gorrell never understood, but Touya felt it all too well as he pressed his lips against hers in a final goodbye kiss. She did not pull away, but didn't respond either, and after a moment he drew back to give her one last look. Then he turned away and crossed the distance to his discarded tunic in quick strides. He could feel her eyes on him as he pulled his shirt on, covering the scars again.

Somehow, he'd known before he even came that she would never remove them. It didn't matter. He would bear the evidence of a treacherous ruler on his back for life, and every day he would remember to never become that man.

It would be her final message to him, and perhaps it wasn't such a bad way to say goodbye. Neither said anything as he strode down the aisle and pulled the door open, departing into the night.

The woman waited until he was gone, and then she sank down to the floor and leaned her head back against the altar.

It is the way…I have foreseen it in my cleaning and I know it has to be done. I show them, give them instruction and advice, and then I have to let go. They must fly on, and I must remain. I knew it was coming.

But it hurts still. And it always will.

The young king paused outside to take a few deep breaths. The summer night air was cool and fragrant, and it was calming to his troubled soul.

I can't believe I let it rest so easily. I left her! Do I love her less than Sakura loves Li? But she's right, I know she's right. I'll never have room in my life for anyone; the kingdom takes priority. Defending this new law that allows commoners to carry swords is taking every minute of my time. And there are those threats of invasion from the north, and rumors of the nobles who might have helped Gorrell, and –

He shook his head as he mounted his horse. He'd spent too much time down here in the city as it was. It was time for him to return to the palace, time to resume his leadership. He was the heir to the kingdom, and he had a job to do.

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


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